NASCAR is heading to the tricky triangle for their doubleheader weekend! Coming off yet another dominating performance, Kyle Larson was given pole for race one on Saturday. It will be 130 laps split into three stages of 25-52-53 and will start at 3 pm ET on NBCSN. The pole position for Sunday however will be up for grabs. All details included in the NASCAR at Pocono doubleheader preview!
Race One Lineup
Dominance rewarded. ? @KyleLarsonRacin has earned the #BuschPole for Saturday’s race at @PoconoRaceway! pic.twitter.com/V83N8MhPMr
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 23, 2021
Kyle Larson will lead the pack to green with teammate William Byron beside him. Row two will consist of Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano with Kyle Busch and Ross Chastain behind them in row three. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will start in row four after a strong run at Nashville with Kurt Busch. Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin will round out the top ten in row five.
Notable mentions to the drivers who had a tough break last weekend are Chris Buescher in 25th, Cole Custer in 26th, Ryan Blaney in 27th, and Chase Briscoe in 28th. All of them had brake failures end their day. Chase Elliott will also start near the back in 29th position after not passing post-race inspection for having five loose lug-nuts.
Race Two
How the Sunday race lines up will be determined by the outcome of Saturday’s race. Drivers who finish 1-20 on Saturday will be inverted for Sunday with everyone 20 on back starting where they finished. This will give the teams that run near the back incentive with the hopes of starting on the pole for Sunday. Pit boxes will be chosen by the teams in Saturday’s finishing order as well. The race itself will be ten laps longer, 140 laps with three stages split into 30-55-55. It will be at 3:30 pm ET on NBCSN on Sunday.
My Picks
With the recent dominance from the Hendrick teams, it’s kind of difficult to see anyone else winning. With that being said you can’t count out teams like Penske or Gibbs. But for me, neither of those teams is really on my radar. Chip Ganassi has been steadily improving over the first half of the season. With Ross Chastain finishing second and Kurt Busch finishing eighth last weekend, I think if they play their cards right they could pull it off. Stewart-Haas is another one of those teams that have been getting back into it. Aric Almirola and Kevin Harvick both finished in the top-five in Nashville. Any one of those teams could use the doubleheader to their advantage to get a win.
If any team other than Hendrick wins this weekend, I feel like it’ll be in the second race. With Larson starting upfront on Saturday it is going to be very difficult to get up to him. He is just that dominant right now. You can’t give him an inch or he’ll run away with it.
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