RADIO
Chase Elliott has Plenty of Upside for Sunday's Race at Pocono
Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports scored a starting position of 23rd after qualifying for this week's Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway. This is Elliott's first start at Pocono outside of the top 20 since 2023. In 16 Cup starts at Pocono, Elliott has one win, 11 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 12.9. In practice for Sunday's race at Pocono, Elliott ranked 28th in five consecutive lap averages in practice. Although his practice speeds were unremarkable, Elliott does have great track history at Pocono and some of the best equipment in the field from Hendrick Motorsports. Elliott's upside and overall history at Pocono make him a great DFS option for all formats this week.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Ty Gibbs Could be An Underrated DFS Winner for Pocono Lineups
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Ty Gibbs is starting in the fourth position for the Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway. This is the second time in his Cup career that Gibbs will start inside the top five in a Pocono race. In four prior races at the site, Gibbs has one top-5 finish, but he did lead in two of the last three Cup events at the Pennsylvania track. With 15 races completed so far this year, Gibbs has one win, nine top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 14.0. In practice for this week's race, Gibbs ranked fourth in five consecutive lap averages. Considering how Gibbs has been one of the strongest performers of the season with top-notch equipment and an overall solid history at Pocono, he is an underrated pick to compete for the win.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Chris Buescher May Have Another Solid Run at Pocono
Chris Buescher of RFK Racing is starting sixth for the Great American Getaway at Pocono Raceway. After starting second in last year's Pocono Cup race, this marks the second time in Buescher's career that he has had back-to-back top-10 starts at the site since 2021 and 2022. In 16 Cup starts, Buescher has one win and three top-10 finishes with an average finish of 19.0. Through the first 15 races of the season, Buescher has seven top-10 finishes with an average finish of 13.6. In practice for this week's Cup race, Buescher ranked first in five consecutive lap averages. Despite having a high starting position that leaves him little upside, Buescher was one of the fastest drivers in pre-race events and has been one of the more consistent drivers of the year. Although he is preferred for tournament lineups due to his low upside, Buescher is a solid DFS option capable of placing in the top 10.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Ross Chastain has Solid DFS Upside for Sunday's Race at Pocono
Trackhouse Racing's Ross Chastain will start in the 24th position for this week's race at Pocono Raceway, the Great American Getaway 400. This is the lowest starting position for Chastain in his Cup career at Pocono since joining Trackhouse back in 2022. In 10 Cup starts at Pocono, Chastain's best finish is 13th, which he scored in 2023. After 15 races so far this year, Chastain has eight top-20 finishes with an average finish of 21.9. In practice for Sunday's race, Chastain ranked 10th in five consecutive lap averages and seventh in 10 consecutive lap averages. The No. 1 Chevrolet driver has some solid upside based on his starting position after showing top-10 speeds in practice. Overall, fantasy players should be able to roster Chastain with confidence to perform in all DFS formats despite not having the best track record at Pocono.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Daniel Suarez is a DFS Risk While Showing Top-10 Speeds in Pocono Practice
Daniel Suarez will start in the third position for the Great American Getaway 400, taking place at Pocono Raceway this week. This is the best starting position that Suarez has earned for a Cup race at Pocono in his career since earning the pole in July 2018. In 14 Cup starts at Pocono, Suarez has four top-10 finishes and an average finish of 16.6. In 15 races completed so far this season, Suarez has one win, five top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 13.7. In practice for this week's race, Suarez ranked third in five consecutive lap averages and fourth in 10 consecutive lap averages. With Suarez starting towards the front, he has very little upside for Place Differential, but he did showcase fast practice speeds. The No. 7 Chevrolet driver is best-suited for tournament lineups, especially as his risk to lose positions for PD, despite showing a car capable of a top 10 finish, is not cash-friendly for DFS.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Denny Hamlin the Driver to Beat at Pocono
It should come as no surprise to anyone, but Denny Hamlin is the guy to beat at Pocono Raceway this weekend. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is coming off of his third win of the season, as he put a whooping on the field at Michigan last weekend, and has won three of the last four Cup Series races (one of which was the All Star Race at Dover). At Pocono, Hamlin is simply the best. He has a series-best seven wins at "The Tricky Triangle" and has finished first or second in each of the last three races here. He's on the pole for this weekend's Great American Getaway 400 and definitely the driver to beat. And with Hamlin being on such a hot streak, can you really bet against him? In addition to being the fastest car in qualifying, the No. 11 Toyota was also the second-fastest in practice earlier that day.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Kyle Larson Happy With His Speed at Pocono
Kyle Larson has a lot to be happy about so far this weekend at Pocono Raceway. The Hendrick Motorsports driver was the fastest in practice on Saturday afternoon and backed up that speed in qualifying as well, posting the second-fastest lap. Larson will now start on the outside pole for Sunday's Great American Getaway 400, and he noted during an interview that this feels like it is the best speed he has ever had at Pocono. Will that turn into race-winning speed, though? Larson will have to get past Denny Hamlin to do so, but the No. 5 Chevrolet is one of the few race cars in the realm of being able to pull that off. Larson has never won at Pocono Raceway but he does have two runner-up finishes to his credit at "The Tricky Triangle" (one in 2021 and one in 2018). "Yung Money" should be a legitimate top-five contender on race day.
Source: Motorsport
Source: Motorsport
Carson Hocevar Qualifies 26th After Brushing Wall in Time Trials
Carson Hocevar was one of several drivers that had issues during qualifying on Saturday at Pocono Raceway, as the Spire Motorsports driver was on a heater of a lap but ended up getting loose and brushing the wall. Hocevar was able to complete his lap and post the 26th-fastest time, but he would've likely qualified inside the top five without the issue. The team will likely have to fix the damage before the race, which will require Hocevar to drop to the rear before the Great American Getaway 400 goes green. The No. 77 Chevrolet should still have good speed during the race, though, as Hocevar was fourth-fastest in practice during the weekend. Last year at Pocono, Hocevar had a solid top 10 race car but faded late and ended up with a disappointing 18th-place finish. This weekend, DFS players should definitely consider Hocevar ($8.7K on DraftKings) for their lineups, as he offers high Place Differential upside with good finishing potential as well.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Bubba Wallace Wrecks During Qualifying at Pocono
Qualifying at Pocono on Saturday afternoon wasn't boring by any means, as several drivers had issues during the session. One of those was Bubba Wallace, who wrecked during his lap and wasn't able to post a time. Officially, Bubba will be credited with a 38th-place starting spot, to the joy of DFS players. Because of his massive Place Differential upside and affordable driver salary ($8.0K on DraftKings), Bubba Wallace is now an easy pick for daily fantasy players at Pocono, especially considering the No. 23 Toyota showed decent speed during practice (15th-fastest). As far as track record goes, Bubba finished 36th at Pocono last season after brake rotor issues, but before that he has five straight finishes between fifth and 14th. He should be able to move through the field on Sunday from his last-place starting spot.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Brad Keselowski Suffers Mechanical Issue During Qualifying at Pocono
Brad Keselowski posted the slowest qualifying lap at Pocono on Saturday afternoon, but the reason wasn't the driver himself--it was the car. Keselowski reported potential engine issues with the No. 6 Ford, which led to the slow lap. Officially, he will be credited with a 37th-place starting spot when the Great American Getaway 400 goes green. Further details released by Bob Pockrass on Sunday morning also noted that it wasn't an engine issue. Instead, the RFK Ford had an airbox issue. Still, Keselowski will have plenty of work to do to get through the field during the race. Given his track record, though, that shouldn't be extremely difficult. Keselowski currently has back-to-back top-10 finishes at Pocono and has finished 11th or better in eight of the last 10 races there. In DFS, Brad makes for an excellent Place Differential pick, especially at his affordable driver salary ($7.9K on DraftKings).
Source: Bob Pockrass
Source: Bob Pockrass
Denny Hamlin Goes From the Back to Victory Lane at Michigan
For the second week in a row, Denny Hamlin went to the back and spent the whole race recovering to the front for a victory in the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Hamlin was originally set to start first after scoring the pole in qualifying, but had to make unapproved adjustments to his car after qualifying due to damage received from a flat tire in practice. In the first stage, Hamlin went from the back to 25th by the end of the first stage. In the second stage, Hamlin continued to move through the field, but was also caught in a multicar accident on lap 83. Despite spinning in the incident, Hamlin was able to continue and went on to end the second stage in eighth. In the final stage, Hamlin continued to move up as he finally made it back to the top five by lap 128. On the race's final restart on lap 162, Hamlin went up to the lead past William Byron, Daniel Suarez, and Carson Hocevar, and never looked back, leading 40 total laps overall to get his fourth Michigan win and third win of the 2026 season. This win also tied Kyle Busch for ninth on NASCAR's all-time wins list in the Cup Series at 63, and he is now 51 points behind in second place in the regular season standings after 15 races.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Erik Jones Earns his Best Finish of the 2026 Season So Far at Michigan
Legacy Motor Club's Erik Jones finished in second in the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Jones was initially set to start 10th, but his team made unapproved adjustments before the race, and per NASCAR rules, he had to start at the rear at the green flag. Jones spent the entire first stage making up positions from the back and ended it in 15th. In the second stage, Jones continued to ascend to the field and made it up to the top five over time. By the end of the stage, he passed Bubba Wallace, Kyle Larson, and Daniel Suarez to finish the stage in second behind Chase Elliott, earning nine stage points in the process. In the final stage, Jones kept falling back in positions due to pit stops, but had the car to recover back to the front. On the final green flag run of the race, Jones went from the back of the top 10 all the way to second to finish 11 seconds behind Denny Hamlin. This was Jones' best finish of the 2026 season and of his career at Michigan. After 15 Cup races this season, Jones now sits 18th in the standings and is 18 points behind Austin Cindric for the final spot in the Chase.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Bubba Wallace Moves Up the Standings After Finishing Third at Michigan
Bubba Wallace of 23XI Racing finished in the third position for this year's FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday. Wallace began the race from the 13th position, but took advantage of a fast car and great pit stops in the first stage to move up to fifth by the end of the stage. Wallace earned six stage points as a result. In the second stage, Wallace kept running inside the top five through most of the stage, competing with Ty Gibbs, Carson Hocevar, and Chase Elliott. Despite being involved in a multicar accident on lap 83, Wallace continued on and ran inside the top five until the end of the second stage, when he faded back to 11th. In the final stage, Wallace kept his car clean and ran towards the back half of the top 10 through most of the stage. However, he took advantage of multiple cautions and restarts to move back towards the front, and on the final green flag run, he made it as high as second behind Denny Hamlin until Erik Jones passed him late before the checkered flag. As a result, Wallace settled for his third top-5 finish in the last five Michigan Cup races. Wallace's finish also moves him up to 11th in the regular-season standings after 15 races this year.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Chase Elliott Wrecks In the Final Stage at Michigan After Leading the Most Laps
Chase Elliott was one of the top performers through the first half of the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, but ultimately could not maintain a top finish by the end of Sunday's race. Elliott began the race from sixth and quietly ran inside the top 10 throughout the entire first stage. The No. 9 Chevrolet driver ended the first stage in fourth and earned seven stage points. In the second stage, Elliott continued to work his way through the top five until a lap 67 pit stop, which shuffled Elliott into the lead past his teammate Kyle Larson. Elliott went on to win the second stage and obtain 10 more stage points. In the final stage, Elliott continued to lead the race until a lap 142 caution for Zane Smith crashing. Elliott lost the lead to William Byron through pit stops, and then, a couple of laps later, after the restart on lap 148, Elliott's car got loose and knocked himself and Christopher Bell into the outside wall. This ended Elliott's day, and he finished in 37th after leading 67 laps, the most of all drivers. Elliott is now fourth in the regular-season standings after 16 races, 187 points behind Tyler Reddick.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Tyler Reddick Crashes Out at Michigan After Winning A Stage
Tyler Reddick's performance in the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway had promise, but ultimately was a disappointment. Reddick began the race from third but quickly made his way to the lead after passing Carson Hocevar partway through the first stage. The No. 45 Toyota driver went on to dominate the rest of the first stage and win it, earning 10 stage points. Between stages, Reddick waited for extra fuel on pit road during his pit stop, causing him to lose the lead. After the second stage began, he continued to run inside the top five through most of the stage and was set to make a run for the lead again after a lap 78 caution for A.J. Allmendinger spinning caused another restart. However, as the race restarted on lap 83, Hocevar bumped into John Hunter Nemechek and triggered a multicar accident that caught Reddick. Ultimately, Reddick took too much damage from this crash to continue and placed 35th, giving him his first DNF of the 2026 season. Reddick's early exit caused his points lead in the regular season standings to drop to 51 points over Denny Hamlin, who won Sunday's race, after 15 Cup races this season.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
