The NASCAR Cup caps off an historic day and weekend of racing with the first ever NASCAR triple header and the first ever NASCAR Cup double header at the same track when the Cup Series runs the Pocono 350 at the “Tricky Triangle” of Pocono Raceway.
With a doubleheader weekend, the teams have to drive the same car using the same equipment with the exception of tires. After some wrecks in Saturday’s race, five teams have gone to backup cars and will have to start the race from the back of the field. Quin Houff was knocked out of the race early and would have started from the rear anyway but will start the race from the back along with Tyler Reddick, Erik Jones, Joey Logano, and Alex Bowman.
After making transmission changes, Chase Elliott and BJ McLeod will also be starting from the back of the field; as will William Byron and Ryan Preece for making an engine change.
The starting lineup was set after Saturday’s race with the top 20 drivers being inverted and the second 20 starting where they finished. The inversion would have put Ryan Preece on the pole. Austin Dillon and Kurt Busch will now be on the front row and bring the field to the green flag.
The starting lineup for the Pocono 350:
Ryan Preece – moved to the back of the field
Austin Dillon
Kurt Busch
Ricky Stenhouse Jr
Cole Custer
Ryan Newman
William Byron – moved to the back of the field
Matt DiBenedetto
Ryan Blaney
Matt Kenseth
Chris Buescher
Brad Keselowski
Michael McDowell
Clint Bowyer
Martin Truex Jr
Kyle Busch
Christopher Bell
Aric Almirola
Denny Hamlin
Kevin Harvick
Jimmie Johnson
Bubba Wallace
Corey LaJoie
John Hunter Nemechek
Chase Elliott – moved to the back of the field
Ty Dillon
Alex Bowman – moved to the back of the field
Daniel Suarez
Brennan Poole
Tyler Reddick – moved to the back of the field
JJ Yeley
Josh Bilicki
Garrett Smithley
James Davison
Timmy Hill
Joey Logano – moved to the back of the field
Joey Gase
Erik Jones – moved to the back of the field
BJ McLeod – moved to the back of the field
Quin Houff – moved to the back of the field
Before the race even began, NASCAR has brought the drivers down pit road for lightening in the area under some very overcast skies. The drivers are getting out of their cars and the camera crew comes down to ground level.
Once the all clear was given, NASCAR calls the drivers back to their cars to get ready to race.
Stage one of the race is 30 laps with stages two and three lasting 55 laps each for a total of 140 laps around the two and a half mile track.
Austin Dillon brings the field down for the green flag start of the race from the outside lane but it is Kurt Busch who gets out in front after a push.
Lap two, Kurt Busch leads the race with Cole Custer in second; Ryan Blaney, Austin Dillon, and Chris Buescher round out the top five.
Tyler Reddick has lost his power steering; Reddick also reports that his water temps are up but the oil temps are good.
Lap three, Kurt Busch has a one second lead on Ryan Blaney; Cole Custer, Chris Buescher, and Austin Dillon round out the top five.
The caution flag comes out on lap four for rain.
Kurt Busch is the first driver in a Chevrolet to lead laps this weekend in the NASCAR Cup Series.
NASCAR brings the field down pit road under the yellow flag and will remain in their cars to wait out the rain. Tyler Reddick’s team is working on repairing the power steering issue in his car.
NASCAR has displayed the red flag.
The teams are covering the cars and the drivers are getting out of their cars as the rain has gone from a drizzle to a shower.
A rainbow has appeared over the race track and the drivers are being called to their cars.
NASCAR will be throwing a quickie yellow – all drivers can pit on the same lap – before waving the green flag again after a red flag of over 50 minutes.
There is one spot on the track that just won’t go away as the drivers continue to make caution flag laps.
Kurt Busch brings the field down for the green flag restart of the race on lap 12. Busch and Ryan Blaney go side by side before Busch gets out in front for the lead; Chris Buescher, Matt DiBenedetto, and Christopher Bell round out the top five.
Lap 15, Kurt Busch has led every lap so far.
Lap 16, Michael McDowell brings out the second caution flag of the day when he slams the wall after blowing a tire.
Some of the drivers come down pit road for service.
Taking the outside lane, Kurt Busch brings the field down for the green flag restart on lap 19 and the drivers immediately get four and five wide across the track. Kurt Busch gets out in front to continue leading the race.
Lap 20, the top five are Kurt Busch, Ryan Blaney, Chris Buescher, Christopher Bell, and Kevin Harvick.
With an inverted field and several drivers moved to the back of the field, there is a lot of passing and drivers changing positions on the track.
Lap 25, Kurt Busch continues to lead the race with Ryan Blaney on his bumper; Chris Buescher, Christopher Bell, and Kevin Harvick round out the top five.
Christopher Bell in fourth place is the only driver in the top five who has not won a race at Pocono.
Several drivers come down pit road for service as they short pit the end of the stage.
Kurt Busch wins stage one.
The top 10 at the end of stage one:
Kurt Busch
Ryan Blaney
Christopher Bell
Kevin Harvick
Brad Keselowski
Matt DiBenedetto
Chris Buescher
Martin Truex Jr
Kyle Busch
Cole Custer
Drivers come down pit road for service, but the leaders stayed out on the track. Matt DiBenedetto wins the race off of pit road after taking only two tires.
Kurt Busch brings the field down for the green flag start of stage two on lap 36 and goes nose to nose with Ryan Blaney before Ryan Blaney gets out in front for the lead; Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr, and Erik Jones round out the top five.
Once Ryan Blaney takes the lead, he begins to pull away and has a lead of nearly half a second on Kurt Busch.
Lap38, Brad Keselowski takes second place from Kurt Busch.
The caution flag comes out on lap 39 when Christopher Bell put his car into the wall causing some heavy damage.
A few drivers come down pit road for service. Taking fuel only, Ty Dillon wins the race off of pit road.
Ryan Blaney brings the field down for the green flag restart on lap 45 with Blaney getting out in front after a push from Kyle Busch.
The top five are Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr, Kyle Busch, Bubba Wallace, and Joey Logano.
The caution flag come out for the fifth time when Chris Buescher gets loose and hits the wall.
A few drivers come down pit road for service, but the leaders stay out on the track.
Ryan Blaney brings the field down for the green flag restart of the race on lap 51 with Martin Truex Jr alongside on the front row. After a battle for the lead, Ryan Blaney takes the top spot with Martin Truex Jr in second; Kyle Busch, Matt DiBenedetto, and Bubba Wallace round out the top five.
Lap 54, Ryan Blaney has a lead of over half a second on Martin Truex Jr; Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, and Bubba Wallace round out the top five.
With all of the weather delays, there is a chance that the race will not run all 350 miles.
Lap 57, Ryan Blaney leads the race with Kyle Busch in second; Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr, and Bubba Wallace round out the top five.
Lap 57, Ryan Blaney makes his first pit stop of the day. Leader Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr have yet to make a pit stop.
Lap 59, Martin Truex Jr makes his first pit stop of the day.
Lap 59, Kyle Busch finally makes his pit stop and gives the lead over to Denny Hamlin; Matt DiBenedetto, Kevin Harvick, Chase Elliott, and Brad Keselowski round out the top five.
Kevin Harvick takes second from Matt DiBenedetto.
Lap 61, Bubba Wallace makes a pit stop.
Lap 62, Denny Hamlin has a five second lead on Kevin Harvick.
Lap 65, Denny Hamlin continues to lead the race with Kevin Harvick ins second; Matt DiBenedetto, Chase Elliott, and Brad Keselowski round out the top five.
With numerous pit strategies, there are drivers on pit road every few laps.
With 28 cars on the lead lap, Denny Hamlin’s lead on Kevin Harvick has been cut to just over three seconds on Kevin Harvick; Matt DiBenedetto, Chase Elliott, and Brad Keselowski round out the top five.
Lap 73, Denny Hamlin has a four second lead on Kevin Harvick; Matt DiBenedetto, Chase Elliott, and Brad Keselowski round out the top five.
Leader Denny Hamlin continues to lap cars; there are 26 cars on the lead lap.
Candyman Kyle Busch brings out the caution flag on lap 76 when he gets into the wall battling for position.
With eight laps remaining in stage two, several of the drivers come down pit road for service including leader Denny Hamlin. Kevin Harvick wins the race off of pit road.
Alex Bowman has been charged with interfering with Ryan Blaney’s pit stop. He will have to restart the race from the back of the field
The sun has become an issue on the track.
Brad Keselowski brings the field down for the green flag restart with six lap remaining in stage two. Aric Almirola gets out in front for the lead with Brad Keselowski in second: Ryan Newman is in third.
The caution flag comes out for a crash involving Ryan Preece with a flat tire and into the inside wall. Preece narrowly missed Bubba Wallace as he headed for the wall.
Aric Almirola brings the field down for the green flag restart with just two laps remaining in stage two. The drivers quickly fan out four and five wide. Brad Keselowski gets out in front for the lead with Aric Almirola in second; Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Ryan Newman, and Martin Truex Jr round out the top five.
Brad Keselowski wins stage two:
The top 10 at the end of stage two:
Brad Keselowski
Aric Almirola
Ryan Newman
Martin Truex Jr
Ricky Stenhouse Jr
Austin Dillon
Kevin Harvick
Kurt Busch
Matt DiBenedetto
Denny Hamlin
Denny Hamlin took the tenth place spot by just an inch or two over Chase Elliott.
Drivers come down pit road for service, but leader Brad Keselowski stayed out on the track; Ryan Newman also stayed out on the track.
With sunset only about 30 or 40 minutes away, there is a question as to whether the race can be run in full. There are no lights at Pocono.
Brad Keselowski brings the field down for the green flag start of stage three on lap 89 with Keselowski and Newman going side by side before Brad Keselowski gets out in front for the lead with Kurt Busch taking second; Ryan Newman, Kevin Harvick, and Denny Hamlin round out the top five.
With 49 laps remaining in the race, Brad Keslowski has a lead of nearly two seconds on Kevin Harvick; Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin, and Ryan Newman round out the top five.
Kevin Harvick is very slowly closing the gap on leader Brad Keselowski. Keselowski’s lead is down to under a second and a half.
Lap 94, Brad Keselowski brings his car down pit road for fuel and tires. Kevin Harvick is the new leader with Denny Hamlin in second.
Lap 95, the top five are Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, Kurt Busch, and Erik Jones.
Lap 100, Kevin Harvick has a second and a two second lead on Denny Hamlin; Chase Elliott, Erik Jones, and Ryan Blaney round out the top five as the drivers are chasing the sunset.
Jimmie Johnson hit one of his tires coming out of his pit stall and will be charged with having an uncontrolled tire on pit road.
Drivers are making green flag pit stops.
Joey Logano was charged with driving through too many pit stalls on the way to his pit stop.
Kevin Harvick has pulled out to a three second lead on Denny Hamlin; Chase Elliott, Erik Jones, and Clint Bowyer round out the top five.
With 35 laps to go, leader Kevin Harvick makes his green flag pit stop; giving the lead over to Denny Hamlin who still needs to make his stop.
Thirty three to go, Denny Hamlin has a lead of over eight seconds on Erik Jones; Aric Almirola, Martin Truex Jr, and William Byron round out the top five. Kevin Harvick is in 13h place.
Thirty to go, Denny Hamlin has pulled out to a nine second lead on Erik Jones; Aric Almirola, Martin Truex Jr, and William Byron round out the top five.
Twenty five to go, Denny Hamlin continues to lead the race; Aric Almirola, Martin Truex Jr, William Byron, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr round out the top five.
Kevin Harvick has moved into the top 10 in eighth place.
Twenty two laps to go, there are only 18 cars on the lead lap.
Lap 119, Denny Hamlin brings his car down pit road for fuel.
Martin Truex Jr is the new leader.
Twenty to go, Martin Truex Jr is the leader with Denny Hamlin, Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Kevin Harvick, and Austin Dillon rounding out the top five..
Lap 124, leader Martin Truex Jr comes down pit road for service. Denny Hamlin is the new leader with Kevin Harvick in second, two seconds back.
Lap 125, the top five are Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Ricky Stenhouse Jr, and Austin Dillon.
Third place driver Brad Keselowski is running the fastest laps on the track.
Ten to go, Denny Hamlin has a lead of over three seconds on Kevin Harvick; Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott, and Erik Jones round out the top five. There are 23 cars on the lead lap.
Five to go, Denny Hamlin continues to lead the race by two seconds over Kevin Harvick; Brad Keselowski, Erik Jones, and Chase Elliott round out the top five.
With only four laps to go, Brad Keselowski comes down pit road for fuel.
With a lead of two seconds, Denny Hamlin takes the white flag with only 18 cars on the lead lap.
Despite rain, a red flag of nearly an hour, and no lights; NASCAR chases a setting sun for Denny Hamlin to win his sixth race at Pocono, tying Jeff Gordon for the most wins.
The unofficial results of the Pocono 350:
Denny Hamlin
Kevin Harvick
Erik Jones
Chase Elliott
Aric Almirola
Matt DiBenedetto
William Byron
Clint Bowyer
Alex Bowman
Martin Truex Jr
Brad Keselowski
Matt Kenseth
Kurt Busch
Austin Dillon
Ricky Stenhouse Jr
Jimmie Johnson
Cole Custer
Ryan Newman
John Hunter Nemechek
Bubba Wallace
Corey LaJoie
Ryan Blaney
Ty Dillon
Joey Logano
Ryan Preece
Daniel Suarez
Brennan Poole
JJ Yeley
Timmy Hill
Janes Davison
Quin Houff
Garrett Smithley
Joey Gase
Josh Bilicki
Tyler Reddick
Chris Buescher
BJ McLeod
Kyle Busch
Christopher Bell
Michael McDowell