The top competitors dominated Sunday afternoon at Pocono as the top-seven finishers had all secured wins throughout the 2024 season. However, the “Tricky Triangle” belonged to Ryan Blaney, who led a race-high 44 laps to claim his second Cup Series victory of the year and the 12th of his career.
While Blaney shone at Pocono, his close friend Bubba Wallace had an opportunistic points day, finishing 10th and gaining significant ground on Ross Chastain. Wallace has now reduced his deficit to just 27 points from the elimination line.
Before the Cup Series returns to the iconic Brickyard oval on Sunday (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, IMS Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App), let’s see which drivers are climbing upward and which are tumbling downward.
THREE UP ⬆️
- Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
- Started: 4th
- Finished: 2nd
- What happened: After five races without a top 10, Hamlin finished runner-up, scored a stage win, and led 31 laps around the 2.5-mile triangular oval. He re-entered the regular-season title conversation, now sitting just 20 points below Elliott at the top of the standings. It was a complete day for the No. 11 JGR team, gaining much-needed momentum with just five races left before the postseason.
- What’s next: Hamlin returns to oval racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he has five finishes of sixth or better in the last seven oval events there.
- Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
- Started: 29th
- Finished: 10th
- What happened: Wallace, reflecting on a $50,000 fine for his post-race incident with Alex Bowman in Chicago, declared it the “best thing to happen” to him. He methodically worked his way to a top 10 finish after starting near the back.
- What’s next: Wallace has strong potential in the upcoming regular-season races, aiming for his first victory since fall 2022. He has two top 10 finishes in three oval starts at Indy, including third and ninth places in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
- Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
- Started: 23rd
- Finished: 14th
- What happened: Jones, while not thrilled with a 14th-place finish, tends to perform better in the late summer months. With only one top 10 this season, the team should be proud of nearing another strong result.
- What’s next: Jones looks forward to opportunities at Indy, Michigan International Speedway, and Daytona International Speedway. He has one top five at the Brickyard oval, a runner-up finish in 2018.
THREE DOWN ⬇️
- Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
- Started: 1st
- Finished: 27th
- What happened: Gibbs seemed poised for his first Cup win, potentially becoming the 13th different winner of 2024. However, he fell from the lead after a Stage 1 restart and couldn’t recover. His engine issues resulted in a 27th-place finish.
- What’s next: Gibbs is still comfortably 67 points above the elimination line, but he faces pressure to ensure all four JGR Toyotas compete for the Bill France Cup in September. Indy presents a challenge as Gibbs has never raced on the Brickyard oval.
- Todd Gilliland, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
- Started: 33rd
- Finished: 34th
- What happened: Pocono ended Gilliland’s nine-race top-20 streak, the longest for any driver entering Sunday. He cut a tire early in the final stage, causing damage that ended the day for the No. 38 team.
- What’s next: Gilliland has yet to race on the Brickyard oval. However, Front Row Motorsports had the last Cup Series victory at the facility, which could be promising.
- Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
- Started: 19th
- Finished: 36th
- What happened: Chastain’s second full-time season at Trackhouse has been disappointing. Three consecutive finishes of 22nd or worse now leave him just 27 points above Wallace on the elimination line after hitting the wall twice at Pocono.
- What’s next: Despite recent struggles, Chastain has four Xfinity starts on the Brickyard oval, which could provide an edge over some drivers next weekend.
