There was side-by-side racing, strategy and drama at Pocono Raceway as Denny Hamlin claimed the NASCAR win in the Gander RV 400 Sunday (7/29).
It was hard racing from the start to the finish on the track nicknamed the “Tricky Triangle.” Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch appeared to be the cars to beat. Kevin led a race high 62 laps with Kyle just behind leading 56 laps. Kyle was the winner in stage one of the race while Jimmie Johnson scored the stage two win. Five drivers exchanged the lead nine times.
The drivers and teams had multiple strategies to be near the front at the end with enough gas and good enough tires to challenge for the win. Several cars pitted on the race’s seventh and final caution for tires and gas. Several decided to gamble that they had enough gas to make it to the end of what would be a NASCAR overtime of a green-white-checkered finish.
Denny Hamlin was one of the drivers that chose track position over gas and remained on the track to keep his lead for the re-start. Denny was able to hold his lead in the final two laps. He did in fact have enough fuel to make it to the checkered flag first to claim his fifth cup series win at Pocono and his third win of the 2019 season.
Erik Jones claimed the second place finish while Martin Truex Jr. crossed the finish line in third place. William Byron was fourth with Kyle Larson rounding out the top five. See the complete results for the Gander RV 400 here.
Joey Logano remains the leader in the point standings with the next three drivers also holding steady … Kyle Busch (2nd), Kevin Harvick (3rd) and Denny Hamlin (4th). Following the Pocono race Martin Truex Jr. moves up to take over fifth place in the standings. See the complete Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series point standings here.
The points race at the bottom of the grid to make the playoffs is tightening up. There are seven spots not filled by drivers with at least one win and just five races remaining in the regular season. That is going to make each race, win and point more important moving forward.
The next race is one literally anybody on the track can win depending on what happens during the race. NASCAR hits the road course of Watkins Glen International this Sunday, August 4th for the GoBowling at The Glen.
By: Buck Stevens
