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In the Know – Pocono Raceway Doubleheader

“In the Know”
Double Header at Pocono Raceway

The 2021 NASCAR Doubleheader takes place this weekend, June 25-27, in the Pocono Mountains at Pocono Raceway. Fans can enjoy all three series of NASCAR racing at the Tricky Triangle, with the Camping World Truck Series and the Cup Series competing on Saturday, and the Xfinity Series and Cup Series competing again on Sunday. A few things to note:

-Teams will use the same car both days. If a team has to go to a backup car for Sunday, they will start at the rear for that race.
-Sunday’s pit stalls are based on Saturday’s race finish.
-Sunday’s lineup is based on Saturday’s race finish. The top 20 drivers on Saturday will be inverted for Sunday’s start. Drivers that finish 21-40 on Saturday start in that position for Sunday.

The Details

● Event: Pocono Doubleheader (Rounds 18-19 of 36)
● Location: Pocono (Pa.) Raceway
● Layout: 2.5-mile triangle
● Race No. 1: Pocono Organics CBD 325
▬ Time/Date: 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 26
▬ Laps/Miles: 130 laps/325 miles
▬ Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 25 laps / Stage 2: 52 laps / Final Stage: 53 laps
● Race No. 2: Explore the Pocono Mountains 350
▬ Time/Date: 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 27
▬ Laps/Miles: 140 laps/350 miles
▬ Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 30 laps / Stage 2: 55 laps / Final Stage: 55 laps
● TV/Radio: NBCSN / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

What Our Drivers are Saying:

Kevin Harvick, Driver of the No. 4 Busch Light Ford Mustang

The 2020 season began with just one doubleheader on the schedule – Pocono. But then Pocono became one of three doubleheader race weekends. What was it like running doubleheaders, and did you do anything differently in terms of your preparation?
“We were fortunate to run really well in the first race at Pocono and, from there, we knew what adjustments we needed to make for the second race. There was more rubber on the racetrack and you could see all of the competitors in the garage making their stuff better. But there’s also a flip side to all of that – you can also make yourself worse. So, you have to be careful about how much you adjust on your cars. But we did really well in all the doubleheaders last year, and I think Pocono has always been a really good racetrack for us. And being able to do that two days in a row and finish first and second in those races and have a chance at winning both races was definitely more fun than losing. The hardest part is the guys in the garage turning the car around. For me, it’s really not that big of a deal. But going through tech, getting your car prepared, doing the things that you can do to your racecar, working all night, showing back up and racing the next day, that’s really when it becomes difficult on the crew and the guys in the garage more so than me.”

Aric Almirola, Driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

After a solid top-five finish at Nashville, what are your thoughts on bringing this momentum to Pocono? Is it a good track to bring momentum to for you?

“Basing off of last year’s performance, you almost can’t think of a better track to come to than Pocono after finding speed the last few weekends. Last year, we had such an incredible run at Pocono on back-to-back days. Pocono is historically a track I wasn’t super confident in and now I’m heading there with a completely different mindset. We don’t have practice or qualifying, so we’ll have to unload fast again but, after finishing well at Nashville, we’ll have a better starting spot than in recent weeks, which will give us an opportunity to massage the car in cleaner air and see what we’ve got. I’d say Pocono is a great place for us to bring this momentum.”

Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 14 HighPoint.com/Webex by Cisco Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

What is the key to being successful at Pocono?
“Pocono is such a challenging track. Speed is important anywhere we go, but this is a place where you have to be able to adapt. Your car may be really good in one corner and maybe not so great in the other two, but you’ve got to be able to figure it out if you want to run up front. I’m excited for the doubleheader. I really enjoyed running them last year in the Xfinity Series and we were usually able to find something in that first race that we could carry over to the second day, so it’ll be nice to have two shots at showing the work the guys have been putting in.”

Cole Custer, Driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

What were your first impressions of Pocono, being one of the most unique layouts on the schedule?
“It was tough. It was tricky. The straightaways are so long, it gives you a lot of time to think about how you’re going to mess up the next corner (laughs). It’s a tough place to get around because all the corners are different. I think everybody loves it because it’s a challenge. With three different, really difficult corners, it’s one of those styles of tracks you haven’t seen a bunch before. It’s a triangle and you don’t ever race at other tracks shaped like that. There’s nothing like it.”

SHR Stats

NASCAR returns to Pocono for a Doubleheader after a successful weekend at the track in 2020. Last year, Kevin Harvick came home with a win in race 1 and a second place finish in race 2. Chase Briscoe also brought home a win in the Xfinity series in June of 2020. And that wasn’t Briscoe’s first time visiting Pocono’s victory lane. On July 29, 2016, Briscoe won the ARCA Racing Series event to cap a string of four consecutive victories. Cole Custer has scored a victory and two pole positions at Pocono in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and another victory in the ARCA Menards Series. In last year’s inaugural Pocono doubleheader weekend, Custer brought home finishes of 16th on Saturday and 17th on Sunday, in what were his second and third career Pocono outings in the Cup Series. Aric Almirola is looking for his third consecutive top-five finish at Pocono. In the 2020 doubleheaders, he earned third and fifth place finishes, respectively.

Of Special Interest

If you’re heading to the Poconos this weekend, be sure to check out our merch hauler! If you can’t attend in person, you can always browse online at store.stewarthaasracing.com.