NASCAR qualifying results set starting lineup for Pocono race – Daytona Beach News-Journal

Guess who.
Denny Hamlin, winner of back-to-back races, will start in pole position for the third straight week on June 14 after laying down the fastest qualifying lap at Pocono Raceway. Oh, by the way, he’s the Cup Series’ all-time leader in victories here. He was the heavy favorite even before qualifying.
Sunday’s Great American Getaway 400, the fourth of five straight on Amazon Prime, will be the 16th race on NASCAR’s 2026 schedule. At its checkered flag, 10 races will remain in the regular season, which be followed by a 10-race “chase” for the championship.
Pocono, opened in 1969, first joined the NASCAR schedule in 1974. Trivia time: Richard Petty won the first Pocono race, by 19 seconds over Buddy Baker. In 1982, Pocono began playing host to two Cup Series races a year, both in the summer months in order to take advantage of short stretch of warm weather in the Pennsylvania mountains.
Since 2022, it’s been host to just one race each season. Those races have been won by Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe.
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