On Saturday, the NASCAR Cup Series visited Pocono Raceway for the first of two races this weekend. The Pocono Organics 325 marked the halfway point of the 36-race season. One of the best Pocono races in recent history was capped off with a shocking finish. Alex Bowman was the beneficiary of a wild last lap and earned the win. The following NASCAR recap looks back on the eventful afternoon that was.
Alex Bowman Wins at Pocono | NASCAR Cup Series Recap
Pocono Organics 325 Stage 1
Kyle Larson would lead the field to the start of race one of the Pocono doubleheader. William Byron quickly got around Larson for the race lead. Debris on the track caused the first yellow of the day and would ultimately be the competition caution. After the restart, Cole Custer and Brad Keselowski had a little mishap that ended with Custer crashing into the wall. His day was over as a result. Kyle Busch got the lead on the ensuing restart and went on to win stage 1.
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Pocono Organics 325 Stage 2
Joey Logano, Kurt Busch and Tyler Reddick all stayed out during the stage break and led the field back to green. Strategies started to unfold as Reddick began the green flag pit stops on Lap 41. Ross Chastain took over the lead when Logano and Kurt Busch pitted. Soon after, Ryan Newman spun to bring out the third caution for cause of the race. Kyle Busch stayed out at the discretion of his crew chief, but he wasn’t too happy about it.
Following the restart, Corey LaJoie spun and hit the wall suffering some damage. Chastain cut a tire with just six laps to go in the stage. Kurt Busch managed to hold off Larson for two laps to get his second stage win of the year.
Pocono Organics 325 Final Stage
Kurt Busch led the field back to the green to start the final stage. It would not take long for Kyle Larson to get back to the poi, however. With 41 laps to go, teams began their final pit stops of the day. Kyle Busch cycled to the lead in front of Larson after each of their pit stops, but Larson quickly regained the advantage. They battled until NASCAR threw a caution for debris with 23 to go.
On the restart, Alex Bowman would take advantage of the choose rule to start on the front row. The inside lane had been the weaker one all day, but Bowman managed to get the lead on the restart. Larson followed him and the two battled for 15 laps. With just four laps to go, Larson finally got by the No. 48 and quickly drove away. It looked like a foregone conclusion that Larson would win his fourth consecutive race until he cut a tire going into Turn 3 on the very last lap. Bowman took advantage of the lucky break to nab his third win of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Final Pocono Organics 325 Thoughts
The wild finish capped off a very entertaining first race at ‘The Tricky Triangle’. It had been a while since there was a great Pocono race. Battles took place all around the track throughout the afternoon. The race had tons of fuel mileage strategy and an unforgettable finish. Saturday will be hard to top, but hopefully Sunday’s race has the same level of drama and excitement.
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