LONG POND, Pa. — Denny Hamlin made a memorable return to the NASCAR Cup Series grid by capturing the pole position for Sunday’s race at Pocono Raceway. Missing the previous week’s event in Mexico City to be home for the birth of his son, the veteran driver wasted no time getting back up to speed, earning his 44th career Cup pole.
Hamlin’s pole-winning lap around the 2.5-mile “Tricky Triangle” came at a speed of 172.599 mph (52.144 seconds). At 44 years old, this pole is particularly significant, making him the oldest driver to win a Cup Series pole position since Matt Kenseth accomplished the feat at Richmond in September 2017 at age 45. It also marks Hamlin’s fifth career pole at Pocono and his third of the current season, highlighting his enduring strength in the sport.
Speaking about his performance, Hamlin, who boasts a record seven Cup wins at Pocono, expressed confidence, stating he feels “on a run.” His return follows the birth of his son, Jameson Drew Hamlin, on June 11. The name holds special meaning, honoring two important figures in Hamlin’s career: JD Gibbs, the late son of Joe Gibbs, and Jim Dean, his former late model car owner.
While Hamlin celebrated on the front row, several other prominent drivers faced significant challenges during qualifying that will force them to start Sunday’s race from the rear of the field.
Key Drivers Facing Qualifying Issues
Qualifying proved costly for multiple contenders:
William Byron: The Hendrick Motorsports driver, who had the fastest lap in practice, suffered a crash during his qualifying attempt. Getting loose off the challenging Tunnel Turn, Byron’s No. 24 Chevy hit the outside wall before sliding down and colliding with the inside SAFER barrier. The damage was extensive enough that Byron’s team had to move to a backup car, requiring him to start at the back of the field.
Bubba Wallace: Hamlin’s own 23XI Racing driver also encountered trouble. Wallace, who was second-quickest in practice, could not make a qualifying attempt as his No. 23 car failed to start when it was his turn on the track. Hamlin confirmed the issue was related to the car’s starter. Like Byron, this means Wallace will start from the rear.
Josh Berry: After practice, Berry’s team discovered an issue requiring them to replace the diffuser on his car. This repair prevented him from making a qualifying attempt, resulting in a rear-of-field start.
Brennan Poole: Poole’s car failed pre-qualifying inspection three times. Under NASCAR rules, this disallowed him from making a qualifying attempt and also subjects him to a pass-through penalty on pit road after the green flag drops on Sunday.
Despite the advantage of starting on pole, Pocono has historically been challenging for polesitters. The last time a driver won from the pole at the “Tricky Triangle” was Kyle Busch in 2017. In the 11 races held since then, the average starting position of the race winner has been 11th, suggesting that passing opportunities exist throughout the field.
Joining Hamlin on the front row will be Chris Buescher (172.325 mph), who matched his best starting spot of the season. The top five qualifiers were rounded out by Carson Hocevar (171.825 mph) in third, John Hunter Nemechek (171.789 mph) in fourth, and Cole Custer (171.638 mph) in fifth. Toyota showed strong pace, claiming six of the top ten starting spots.
Here is the full starting lineup for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway:
Full Pocono Cup Series Starting Lineup
- Denny Hamlin (Toyota) – 52.144 seconds
- Chris Buescher (Ford) – 52.227 seconds
- Carson Hocevar (Chevrolet) – 52.379 seconds
- John H. Nemechek (Toyota) – 52.390 seconds
- Cole Custer (Ford) – 52.436 seconds
- Chase Briscoe (Ford) – 52.444 seconds
- Ty Gibbs (Toyota) – 52.464 seconds
- Tyler Reddick (Toyota) – 52.500 seconds
- Christopher Bell (Toyota) – 52.525 seconds
- Daniel Suarez (Chevrolet) – 52.631 seconds
- Erik Jones (Toyota)
- Joey Logano (Ford)
- Ryan Preece (Ford)
- Brad Keselowski (Ford)
- Zane Smith (Chevrolet)
- Austin Dillon (Chevrolet)
- Noah Gragson (Ford)
- Chase Elliott (Chevrolet)
- Austin Cindric (Ford)
- Ryan Blaney (Ford)
- Ross Chastain (Chevrolet)
- Justin Haley (Ford)
- Shane Van Gisbergen (Chevrolet)
- Kyle Larson (Chevrolet)
- Alex Bowman (Chevrolet)
- Kyle Busch (Chevrolet)
- Ty Dillon (Chevrolet)
- Michael McDowell (Ford)
- Riley Herbst (Ford)
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Chevrolet)
- Todd Gilliland (Ford)
- AJ Allmendinger (Chevrolet)
- Bubba Wallace (Toyota) – Did Not Qualify (DNS)
- Josh Berry (Chevrolet) – Did Not Qualify (DNS)
- Cody Ware (Ford) – Did Not Qualify (DNS)
- Brennan Poole (Chevrolet) – Did Not Qualify (DNS), Pass-Through Penalty
- William Byron (Chevrolet) – Starting at rear (Backup Car)
NASCAR fans are expected to fill Pocono Raceway this weekend, with the track anticipating its third consecutive sellout crowd for the Cup Series race. Sunday’s event is also notable as the final Cup race broadcast on Amazon’s Prime Video for the 2025 season before coverage shifts.
