The NASCAR Cup Series is set to kick off its annual summer swing through the northeastern United States this weekend. Nearly 700 total miles of racing await the drivers and teams with a doubleheader this Saturday and Sunday at Pocono Raceway. The ‘Tricky Triangle’ never fails to provide fans with thrilling action. Kyle Larson has been on a dominant run recently. His outstanding season to date has earned him pole position honors in the Pocono Organics 325 starting lineup.
This article contains all kinds of vital information to get you set for the first of this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series doubleheader at Pocono Raceway. Read on for the Pocono Organics 325 starting lineup, start time, race facts and NASCAR stats.
NASCAR Cup Series at Pocono Raceway
Pocono Organics 325
Date: Saturday, June 26, 2021
Start Time: 3 p.m. EST
Track: Pocono Raceway — Long Pond, PA
Coverage: NBCSN
Pole Sitter: Kyle Larson
Defending Champion: Kevin Harvick
Pocono Organics 325 Race Details
Distance: 325 miles
Laps: 130
Lap Length: 2.5 miles
Stages: Three (Laps 1-25; 26-77; 78-130)
Surface: Asphalt
Turns: 3
Pocono Organics 325 Starting Lineup
See below for a breakdown of the qualifying metrics formula.
| Starting Position | Driver | Car Number | Team | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cole Custer | 41 | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 2 | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 3 | Tyler Reddick | 8 | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 4 | Chase Briscoe | 14 | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 5 | Kyle Larson | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 6 | Justin Haley | 31 | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet |
| 7 | Ty Dillon | 42 | Petty GMS Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 8 | Alex Bowman | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 9 | Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 10 | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske | Ford |
| 11 | Kyle Busch | 18 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 12 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 13 | Kurt Busch | 45 | 23XI Racing | Toyota |
| 14 | Erik Jones | 43 | Petty GMS Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 15 | Chris Buescher | 17 | Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing | Ford |
| 16 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet |
| 17 | Michael McDowell | 34 | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
| 18 | Brad Keselowski | 6 | Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing | Ford |
| 19 | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 20 | Austin Cindric | 2 | Team Penske | Ford |
| 21 | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet |
| 22 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing | Toyota |
| 23 | Todd Gilliland | 38 | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
| 24 | Harrison Burton | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford |
| 25 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske | Ford |
| 26 | Corey LaJoie | 7 | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 27 | Justin Allgaier | 77 | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 28 | Noah Gragson | 16 | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet |
| 29 | J.J. Yeley | 15 | Rick Ware Racing | Ford |
| 30 | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 31 | Aric Almirola | 10 | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 32 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 33 | Ross Chastain | 1 | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet |
| 34 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 35 | Cody Ware | 51 | Rick Ware Racing | Ford |
| 36 | Josh Williams | 78 | Live Fast Motorsports | Ford |
NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying Overview
Following the interruption to racing last season, NASCAR did away with practice and qualifying runs at the majority of races. A combination of grouped draws and a performance-metrics formula were used to determine starting grids. That same formula remains in place for the majority of races on the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, including this Saturday’s Pocono Organics 325 starting lineup.
So, what exactly is involved in the performance-metrics formula? Well, it draws on a number of factors including individual race performances and seaosn-long results. The following breakdown illustrates the weighted grades associated with each component of NASCAR’s metrics formula:
NASCAR Cup Series Metrics Formula Breakdown
- 35 percent: Team owner points ranking
- 25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race
- 25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race
- 15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race
Pocono Organics 325 Race History and NASCAR Stats
- This was originally a 500-mile race and was run at that distance from its inception in 1982 through 2011. In 2012, the race was shortened to 400 miles.
- Last year marked the first NASCAR Cup Series doubleheader weekend at Pocono Raceway. The same format will continue this season. Saturday’s race is 325 miles in length while Sunday’s event is 350.
- Bobby Allison won each of the first two Cup Series races at Pocono Raceway in 1982 and ’83.
- Jeff Gordon tops the all-time wins list among drivers with four total victories in this race. No other driver has more than two career wins.
- Among active drivers, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. are the only multi-time winners of this race. Each has two victories, with Hamlin winning in 2006 and ’10 and Truex in 2015 and ’18.
- Last year’s Pocono Organics 325 winner, Kevin Harvick, is the only driver to win the race at the new 325-mile distance.
- Hendrick Motorsports leads all race teams with 11 total victories in this event. However, the most recent HMS win came back in 2014.
- Chevrolet’s 18 total wins top all manufacturers in the history of the race. No Chevy has reached victory lane since 2016 though, with Ford and Toyota combining to win each of the last four editions.
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