Pocono Raceway is not part of any of the three NASCAR national series playoffs. But the tripleheader this weekend at the 2.5-mile triangular track in Long Pond will play a pivotal role in who qualifies for the postseason.
Time is dwindling for drivers to either punch their ticket to the playoffs or solidify their position.
In the Cup Series, 10 races remain — starting with Sunday’s Great American Getaway 400 Presented by VISITPA.COM — before the playoffs begin Aug. 31 with the Southern 500 at Darlington. Ten of the 16 spots are filled by race winners following Shane van Gisbergen’s victory last week in Mexico City. Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell each have three wins, while William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Ross Chastain, Joey Logano, Austin Cindric and Josh Berry have one win apiece.
Of the drivers yet to win this season, Chase Elliott and Tyler Reddick both appear to be safe to qualify. Elliott (500 points) is 146 above the cutline, while Reddick (477) is 123 above the cutline.
Bubba Wallace (411) is 57 above the cutline. Chase Briscoe (393) is 39 above and Alex Bowman (376) is 22 above. They seem good for now, but if other drivers outside the top 16 were to win — like van Gisbergen last week — their chances could be jeopardized.
Chris Buescher currently sits on the bubble in the 16th and final playoff spot with 373 points. He is 19 points ahead of RFK Racing teammate Ryan Preece.
Elliott, Bowman and Buescher are all past Pocono winners, while Reddick has finishes of second, second and sixth in his last three races at Pocono.
After Preece, Michael McDowell is 43 points below the cutline and A.J. Allmendinger is 45 points back.
Then there is Kyle Busch, who is 50 points below the cutline. He does have four wins at Pocono, however. This weekend could be the perfect opportunity to snap his 73-race winless streak.
Carson Hochevar is 60 points below the cutline, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is 61 below and Erik Jones is 62 back.
Don’t discount a driver like Ty Gibbs, who is 77 points below the cutline. Pocono is where he made his first career Cup Series start in 2022 and won the pole there for last year’s race. He could be on the verge of his first career Cup victory.
Other tracks besides Pocono in the remaining 10 regular-season races include three road courses — Chicago street, Sonoma, Watkins Glen — along with Atlanta, Dover, Indianapolis, Iowa, Richmond and Daytona.
Xfinity Series
Beginning with Saturday’s Explore the Pocono Mountains 250 at Pocono, 11 races remain in the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season before the playoff opener Sept. 12 at Bristol.
Half of the 12 playoff positions are filled with race winners. Justin Allgaier and Austin Hill each have three wins. Jesse Love, Connor Zilisch, Brandon Jones and Sammy Smith have one win apiece.
Sam Mayer (488 points) is 129 above the cutline, Sheldon Creed (416) is 57 points above and Carson Kvapil (409) is 50 points above. Jeb Burton (397) is 38 points above the cutline and Harrison Burton (377) is 18 points above.
Ryan Sieg and Taylor Gray are tied for the 12th and final spot with 374 points.
Nick Sanchez (359) is 15 points below the cutline. Daniel Dye (330) is 44 below, Dean Thompson (315) is 59 below and Christian Eckes (310) is 64 below.
Truck Series
Friday evening’s Miller Tech Battery 200 at Pocono is the first of five remaining regular-season races in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series before the playoffs begin Aug. 30 at Darlington.
Six drivers are eligible based on wins. Corey Heim, last year’s race winner at Pocono, leads the way with four victories this season. Chandler Smith, a winner at Pocono in 2022, has two victories. Daniel Hemric, Tyler Ankrum, Stewart Friesen and Rajah Caruth each have one win.
That leaves four spots remaining. Grant Enfinger (441 points) is 52 above the cutline. Layne Riggs (424) is 35 above, Kaden Honeycutt (408) is 19 above and Ty Majeski (393) is on the bubble, four points ahead of Jake Garcia.
Ben Rhodes (338) is 55 points below the cutline and Giovanni Ruggiero is 56 points below.
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