Pocono Organics 325 Starting Lineup and Stats for NASCAR Cup Series Race

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.