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The NASCAR Cup Series heads to the Tricky Triangle of Pocono Raceway this weekend for the Great American Getaway 400.
The 2.5-mile, three-turn track is one of the more unique circuits in the series and has been dominated by Denny Hamlin, who is this week’s favorite.
And for good reason: Hamlin has seven Pocono wins, the most of any Cup driver. He’s also the defending champion of this race.
Can he make it two in a row and eight overall? That will definitely be one of the story lines when the green flag drops Sunday afternoon.
Another one will be the dwindling playoff spots.
There are six Cup races remaining in the regular-season schedule and there are only four playoff spots left. A win gets you in. And there are currently 12 drivers who have booked their playoff ticket with victory so far this season.
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For those who haven’t found Victory Lane – or won’t before the final regular-season race – it’ll come down to points.
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Meaning, every lap matters for those on the outside looking in, staring with Pocono’s 2.5-mile tri-oval.
FrontPageBets takes a look at the drivers to watch in Sunday’s Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway (2:30 p.m.; USA Network)
Yes, Hamlin. And why not?
The driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota has dominated Pocono throughout his career.
Hamlin won his first two Cup starts at the 2.5-mile asphalt track, sweeping both races in 2006.
And it’s not just winning there. In 34 career starts at the Pocono triangle, Hamlin has 22 top-10 finishes, including 15 top-5s.
So far this season, he’s racked up three wins, which is tied for the most of anyone in the series.
Larson, the driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy, leads the Cup Series in points, also racking up three wins this season.
At Pocono, Larson has never won, but he does have nine top-10s and five top-5s in 16 career starts.
In fact, he’s finished in the top 10 in four of his last five races at the Tricky Triangle, including three top-5s since 2019.
Bowman, the driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsprots Chevy, is coming off his first victory in two years, winning the Chicago Street Race last weekend.
In 14 career Cup races at Pocono, Bowman has one win (2021) and four top-10 finishes.
This season, he has 11 top-10 finishes, including five top-5s in 20 races.
In a sport all about momentum, Bowman certainly has it coming into this weekend.
Favorites to win Pocono NASCAR race: Great American Getaway 400 odds
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Mike Szvetitz is the General Manager and Content Director for FrontPageBets.com. Szvetitz is a 24-year veteran reporter and editor, including serving 17 years as a sports editor in Florida, Alabama and Virginia, covering everything from preps to pros. His “View From The Lazy Boy” column won multiple state and national awards. He can be reached at mszvetitz@timesdispatch.com.
