LONG POND, Pa. — It’s fitting that the winningest driver in Pocono Raceway history will lead the field to green in Sunday’s Great American Getaway 400. Denny Hamlin, already a seven-time winner at the “Tricky Triangle,” secured the pole with a blistering lap of 172.599 mph, edging out Chris Buescher by just 0.083 seconds in Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series qualifying.
Piloting the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Hamlin added another impressive mark to his Pocono resume — and he did it coming off a week’s absence from the circuit. NASCAR granted the veteran a waiver after he skipped last weekend’s Mexico City race to be present for the birth of his son.
“I was a little more rested than the rest of the field,” Hamlin joked after earning his third pole of the season. “But seriously, the team nailed the adjustments. We weren’t top-10 in practice, but we stayed calm and found what we needed. This place hasn’t changed — it still rewards execution.”
Hamlin has finished first or second in five of the last eight races at Pocono. A victory on Sunday would not only extend his record to eight career wins at the 2.5-mile track but also add to his three-win campaign in 2025.
Behind Hamlin, Buescher’s Roush Fenway Keselowski Ford will start second, followed by Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports), John Hunter Nemechek (Legacy Motor Club), and Cole Custer (Haas Factory Team), who rounded out the top five.
The Toyotas flexed their muscle in qualifying with six of the top-10 spots, including strong efforts from Hamlin’s teammates: Chase Briscoe (6th), Ty Gibbs (7th), Christopher Bell (9th) and 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick (8th).
Meanwhile, title contender William Byron saw his qualifying session end in disappointment. The Hendrick Motorsports driver — and current Cup Series points leader — crashed late in the session, forcing his team to go to a backup car. He’ll start from the rear of the field.
Defending Pocono race winner Ryan Blaney will have ground to make up as well after posting the 20th-fastest time in his No. 12 Team Penske Ford.
Four drivers failed to complete a qualifying lap, including Bubba Wallace, Josh Berry, Cody Ware, and Brennan Poole.
The Great American Getaway 400 is set to go green at 2 p.m. ET Sunday on Amazon Prime, with radio coverage available on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. And with Hamlin out front at one of his most dominant tracks, the rest of the field will have their work cut out for them.
