Hamlin Secures Pole at Pocono in Race Comeback
Denny Hamlin, returning to the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, clinched the pole position for the upcoming Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway, clocking a lap of 172.599 mph (52.144 seconds). This marks his fifth career pole at Pocono, following a brief absence from the series due to the birth of his third child.
"We typically can step up from practice; we make good adjustments," said Hamlin, who improved from a 27th place practice finish. "I never really panic too much, and obviously, because I was a little more rested than the field right there, I was able to go a little faster."
Chris Buescher qualified second with a lap of 172.325 mph, while Carson Hocevar and John Hunter Nemechek rounded out the top four positions at 171.825 mph and 171.789 mph, respectively. Cole Custer completed the top five, posting a lap time of 171.638 mph.
The qualifying session was notable for its challenges; William Byron crashed during his lap and will utilize a backup car for the race. Byron had shown strong performance, being the fastest in practice and in the best 10 consecutive lap averages.
Todd Gilliland also encountered trouble, hitting the wall during his qualifying attempt, resulting in a 32nd place start. Bubba Wallace failed to make a lap due to his car not firing on pit road, while Josh Berry and Cody Ware faced issues during practice that prevented them from qualifying. NASCAR prohibited Brennan Poole from qualifying after his car failed inspection three times.
The Great American Getaway 400 is set to commence at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
