Skip to content
Custom Racing Suit
Get Started for FREE
Denny Hamlin Claims Pocono Pole as Wild Qualifying Ends with Crash
LISTEN
0:00 0:00
Highlights
- Denny Hamlin earned his fifth career pole at Pocono Raceway.
- Chris Buescher qualified second, 0.083 seconds behind Hamlin.
- William Byron crashed, switched to backup car for race.
- Chase Elliott received extra run, finished 18th in qualifying.
- Brennan Poole’s team failed inspection, excluded from qualifying.
- Shane van Gisbergen qualified 23rd, best oval effort this year.
Qualifying was turbulent for several drivers, highlighted by trouble for Hendrick Motorsports. William Byron, after topping the practice leaderboard, lost control in the Tunnel Turn and made heavy contact with the inside wall.
The crash forced Byron to go to a backup car. Chase Elliott, Byron’s teammate, was also affected; he was on track during Byron’s incident, ruining his initial qualifying attempt.
Several top contenders faced setbacks with crashes and mechanical issues during qualifying.
NASCAR later allowed Elliott an extra run with fresh tires, but he managed only 18th, still the highest of the Hendrick cars. Kyle Larson and Alex Bowman will start from 24th and 25th positions, respectively.
Mechanical and technical issues kept other drivers from posting times. Brennan Poole’s team faced three inspection failures, leading to an in-race penalty and exclusion from qualifying.
Cody Ware crashed during practice and could not participate, while Josh Berry’s team repaired a broken rear diffuser instead of qualifying. Bubba Wallace never got his lap after his No. 23 Toyota refused to start in the staging area, despite efforts from the 23XI Racing crew.
The unpredictable events in qualifying set the stage for a tense race at Pocono.
Other names had tough sessions. A.J. Allmendinger and Todd Gilliland recorded the slowest laps after abandoning attempts due to sketchy moments on track.
Meanwhile, Mexico City race winner Shane van Gisbergen posted his best oval qualifying effort of the year, landing 23rd on the grid.
With Hamlin on pole and several contenders starting deep in the field or in backup cars, Sunday’s race promises plenty of action from start to finish. For more insights into the recent racing challenges and team performances, see the latest coverage on the NASCAR Cup Series qualifying.
Adjustments to racing rules have impacted car setups and qualifying throughout the season.
Details on recent FIA rule changes impacting motorsport shed light on some technical challenges teams faced this weekend.
Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.
