GFT Facts & Stats Friday: NASCAR Cup Series Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway
12 July 2024
By Bob Francis, Managing Editor
Go Full Throttle Racing News
LONG POND, PA — With just six races to go to decide the final four Playoff positions before the postseason gets underway at Atlanta (Sept. 8), the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Pocono Raceway for The Great American Getaway 400 Presented by VISITPA.com on Sunday, July 14 at 2:30 p.m. ET on USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Originally named Pocono International Raceway, the facility opened as a three-quarter-mile track in 1968. Located in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, Pocono Raceway, as what it is known as today, is operated by the family-owned Mattco Inc., started by Joseph II and Rose Mattioli. Unique in its design, the Pocono Raceway is an asphalt-paved 2.5-mile tri-oval.
NASCAR Cup Series The Great American Getaway 400
Pocono Raceway — 2.5 Mile Asphalt Tri-Oval
Sunday, July 14 at 2:30 p.m. ET
The Purse: $7,776,907
TV: USA, 2 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 400 miles (160 Laps)
-Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 30)
-Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 95)
-Final Stage (Ends on Lap 160)
Pocono Raceway Track Facts
Track Configuration
Track Length: 2.5 Miles Asphalt Tri-Oval
Race Lengths: 350 Miles (140 Laps)
Grandstand Seating Capacity: N/A
First Race: Aug. 4, 1974 — Purolator 500
Banking in Turn 1: 14 degrees
Banking in Turn 2: 8 degrees
Banking in Turn 3: 6 degrees
Frontstretch: 3,740 feet
Backstretch: 3,055 feet
Shortstretch: 1,780 feet
Qualifying & Race Records
Qualifying: Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 183.438 mph (49.063 sec.); Aug. 1, 2014
Race: 200 Laps: Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 145.384 mph (3:26:21); June 12, 2011
160 Laps: Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 144.202 mph (2:46:26); June 09, 2013
140 Laps: Kyle Busch, Toyota, 143.036 mph (2:26:49); June 27, 2021
130 Laps: Kevin Harvick, Ford, 134.467 mph (2:25:01); June 27, 2020
Track Records
Most Wins: 7 — Denny Hamlin
Most Poles: 5 — Bill Elliott, Ken Schrader
Most Top Fives: 20 — Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin
Most Top 10s: 34 — Mark Martin
Not so tricky of a triangle for some
Among the 40 different drivers to visit Victory Lane in the NASCAR Cup Series at Pocono Raceway, no one has done it more than Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin with seven victories to his credit (2006 sweep, 2009, 2010, 2019, 2020, 2023), including last season’s race.
A total of nine of the 40 NASCAR Cup Series Pocono Raceway winners are entered this weekend, and three of them — Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and Chris Buescher — are looking for their first win of 2024.
Busting Out The Calculator: Mathematically drivers are clinching their postseason spots
While the NASCAR Cup Series drivers can ‘earn’ a spot in the Playoffs by virtue of their wins, but they technically have not ‘clinched’ a spot until they are mathematically ineligible to fall out of the Playoffs on points and have competed in all 26-races of the regular season or have been granted a waiver. With all that said, below are the clinch scenarios heading into Pocono Raceway this weekend, with six races left in the regular season.
Already Clinched
The following four drivers have clinched a spot in the 16-driver postseason field: Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, William Byron and Christopher Bell.
Can Clinch Via Previous Wins
The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Tyler Reddick, Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, Brad Keselowski, Alex Bowman, Joey Logano:
· Chase Elliott: Could only clinch with help
· Tyler Reddick: Could only clinch with help
Can Clinch Via Win
The following drivers would clinch on their win alone:
· Chase Elliott, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski, Alex Bowman, Joey Logano, Daniel Suarez, Austin Cindric
The hunt for the Regular Season Championship
Despite completely missing the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte and finishing 39th at the Chicago Street Course last weekend, Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson still holds onto the NASCAR Cup Series driver point standings lead by 11 points over HMS teammate Chase Elliott in second. With just six races left in the regular season, both drivers are shooting for the title and the additional 15 Playoff bonus points that come with it.
Larson is one of seven different drivers to occupy the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings lead this season, along with William Byron, Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott.
Both Larson (2021) and Elliott (2022) are former NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Championship winners, and if either of them wins this season, they will join Martin Truex Jr. (2017, 2023) and Kyle Busch (2018, 2019) as the third multiple regular season title holder.
Regular Season Championship Clinch Scenarios:
Kyle Larson (or whoever’s first in points) needs to be up by the corresponding number after the race to clinch:
Pocono — 300 or 301 points, depending on tie-break
Indianapolis — 240 or 241 points, depending on tie-break
Richmond — 180 or 181 points, depending on tie-break
Michigan — 120 or 121 points, depending on tie-break
Daytona — 60 or 61 points, depending on tie-break
Darlington — 0 or 1 point, depending on tie-break
POCONO-SPECIFIC STATISTICS
(Driver stats in the below section are from 2005-Present)
Driver Ratings
Of the top 16 in Drivers Points, Denny Hamlin has 7 wins at Pocono and the top Driver Rating at 108.1
Individual Driver Stats:
Christopher Bell (№20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)
· Two top fives, three top 10s
· Average Finish of 17.333, 12th-best
· Average Running Position of 17.187, 13th-best
· Driver Rating of 82.9, 13th-best
· 460 Laps in the Top 15 (53.5%), 13th-most
Ryan Blaney (№12 Team Penske Ford)
· One win, two top fives, six top 10s; one pole
· Average Finish of 14.429, 10th-best
· Average Running Position of 14.255, 10th-best
· Driver Rating of 86.6, 11th-best
· 1,290 Laps in the Top 15 (60.7%), ninth-most
Kyle Busch (№8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet)
· Four wins, 11 top fives, 18 top 10s; four poles
· Average Finish of 14.944, 11th-best
· Average Running Position of 12.920, sixth-best
· Driver Rating of 97.3, second-best
· 4,225 Laps in the Top 15 (69.8%), fifth-most
William Byron (№24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)
· Two top fives, five top 10s; two poles
· Average Finish of 10.100, second-best
· Average Running Position of 11.341, second-best
· Driver Rating of 96.2, fifth-best
· 1,047 Laps in the Top 15 (69.5%), sixth-most
Chase Elliott (№9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)
· One win, four top fives, nine top 10s
· Average Finish of 13.929, eighth-best
· Average Running Position of 12.457, fourth-best
· Driver Rating of 93.1, seventh-best
· 1,556 Laps in the Top 15 (73.2%), third-most
Denny Hamlin (№11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)
· Seven wins, 15 top fives, 22 top 10s; four poles
· Average Finish of 10.529, third-best
· Average Running Position of 9.837, series-best
· Driver Rating of 108.1, series-best
· 4,599 Laps in the Top 15 (81.4%), series-most
Daniel Hemric (№31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet)
· One top 10
· Average Finish of 10.000, series-best
· Average Running Position of 13.933, ninth-best
· Driver Rating of 84.4, 12th-best
· 195 Laps in the Top 15 (60.4%), 10th-most
Erik Jones (№43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota)
· Five top fives, eight top 10s
· Average Finish of 13.667, seventh-best
· Average Running Position of 13.610, eighth-best
· Driver Rating of 90.0, eighth-best
· 1,182 Laps in the Top 15 (64.7%), seventh-most
Brad Keselowski (№6 RFK Racing Ford)
· One win, 11 top fives, 15 top 10s; one pole
· Average Finish of 11.000, fourth-best
· Average Running Position of 13.217, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 93.6, sixth-best
· 2,545 Laps in the Top 15 (61.4%), eighth-most
Kyle Larson (№5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)
· Five top fives, nine top 10s; one pole
· Average Finish of 11.688, fifth-best
· Average Running Position of 11.365, third-best
· Driver Rating of 96.6, fourth-best
· 1,922 Laps in the Top 15 (77.0%), second-most
Joey Logano (№22 Team Penske Ford)
· One win, four top fives, ten top 10s; two poles
· Average Finish of 18.000, 13th-best
· Average Running Position of 14.498, 11th-best
· Driver Rating of 87.0, 10th-best
· 2,549 Laps in the Top 15 (56.1), 11th-most
Martin Truex Jr. (№19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)
· Two wins, seven top fives, 15 top 10s; one pole
· Average Finish of 14.206, ninth-best
· Average Running Position of 14.691, 12th-best
· Driver Rating of 89.2, ninth-best
· 3,106 Laps in the Top 15 (54.9%), 12th-most
Hendrick Motorsports leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Pocono with 19 wins among nine drivers: Jeff Gordon (six), Tim Richmond (three), Jimmie Johnson (three), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (two), Kasey Kahne (one), Geoff Bodine (one), Terry Labonte (one), Alex Bowman (one), Chase Elliott (one).
Eight different manufacturers have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at Pocono; led by Chevrolet with 34 victories; followed by Ford with 24, Toyota (12), Dodge (seven), Pontiac (six), Buick (four), Mercury (two) and Oldsmobile (one).
· The most consecutive wins by a manufacturer in the NASCAR Cup Series at Pocono Raceway is six straight wins by Chevrolet from 8/5/2012–6/7/2015.
Wins
Denny Hamlin currently has 54 NASCAR Cup Series wins, if he were to win another race, he would tie NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace for 11th on the all-time wins list with 55 victories each.
Brad Keselowski currently has 36 NASCAR Cup Series wins, if he were to win another race, he would tie Bobby Isaac for 23rd on the all-time wins list with 37 victories each.
Joey Logano currently has 33 NASCAR Cup Series wins, if he were to win another race, he would tie Kurt Busch and Martin Truex Jr. for 25th on the all-time wins list with 34 victories each.
Track Specific
If Denny Hamlin (2006 sweep, 2014, 2022) or Kyle Busch (2010, 2015, 2017 sweep) win the pole this weekend in the NASCAR Cup Series at Pocono, they will tie NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott (1984, 1985 sweep, 1995 and 2002) and Ken Schrader (1989, 1992, 1993 sweep and 1995) for the NASCAR Cup Series lead in poles at Pocono Raceway with five poles each.
Initial GFT NASCAR Fantasy Live Picks for Pocono Raceway
**NOTE** Be sure to follow us on X (aka Twitter) to see the updated GFT NASCAR Fantasy Live picks AFTER our AI models ingest the Practice and Qualifying data. For a Sunday race, this usually happens overnight Saturday and is published Sunday morning at least 2 hours before the green flag.
