It was Denny Hamlin who took first place at the HighPoint.com 400 at Pocono Raceway, despite only leading nine of 160 laps. Not only did Hamlin secure the win, but he also made history as the first Cup Series driver to win at “The Tricky Triangle” seven times. Not to mention this is his 50th career win in the Cup Series. It was a big weekend for Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 11.
But, with big wins also come big drama, which fans certainly saw this weekend. Let’s take a look at the race results and a few highlights from the race.
OFFICIAL RESULTS OF THE HIGHPOINT.COM 400
Behind Denny Hamlin was No. 45 Tyler Reddick driving for 23XI Racing. In third was Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Martin Truex Jr. Truex has been performing exceptionally over the past few races, and this third place gave him 44 points to get back to the top of the standings.
Hamlin wasn’t met with cheers at Victory Lane, though. Instead, the crowd boo-ed at his victory celebration due to the on-track altercation between Hamlin and Kyle Larson. With seven laps to go in the race, Hamlin and Larson were racing door-to-door when Hamlin took his shot: a bump and go pass on Larson’s Chevrolet, sending Larson into the outside wall.
“I am pissed.”@KyleLarsonRacin on Denny Hamlin. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/vWrXN3GasI
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 23, 2023
Rounding out the top five were Kevin Harvick (who is still looking for a Playoff spot) and rookie Ty Gibbs.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM ‘THE TRICKY TRIANGLE’
Highlights from the race include:
- 11 cautions during the race
- 3 consecutive restarts after the Stage 1 break
- Joey Logano and Daniel Suárez left the track at the beginning of Stage 2. Suárez’s car went head-first into the outside wall during Turn 1, while Logano made contact with the outside retaining wall of Turn 1. Both cars were unable to complete the race.
- A crash between Austin Dillon and Tyler Reddick caused a rift between the drivers; as the two entered the turn, Dillon was unaware of Reddick’s placement, causing him to make heavy contact with the outside wall. Dillon then threw his helmet at Reddick’s car.
- Winners of each stage include Joey Logano for Stage 1 and Kyle Larson for Stage 2.
UPDATED REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS
With only five more races in the regular season, every single point counts. Here’s where the racers stand after the HighPoint.com 400.
| Number | Driver | Regular Season Rank |
| No. 19 | Martin Truex Jr. | 1 |
| No. 24 | William Byron | 2 |
| No. 11 | Denny Hamlin | 3 |
| No. 20 | Christopher Bell | 4 |
| No. 1 | Ross Chastain | 5 |
| No. 8 | Kyle Busch | 6 |
| No. 5 | Kyle Larson | 7 |
| No. 4 | Kevin Harvick | 8 |
| No. 12 | Ryan Blaney | 9 |
| No. 22 | Joey Logano | 10 |
| No. 45 | Tyler Reddick | 11 |
| No. 6 | Brad Keselowski | 12 |
| No. 17 | Chris Buescher | 13 |
| No. 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 14 |
| No. 23 | Bubba Wallace | 15 |
| No. 34 | Michael McDowell | 16 |
| No. 16 | AJ Allmendinger | 17 |
| No. 99 | Daniel Suárez | 18 |
| No. 54 | Ty Gibbs | 19 |
| No. 48 | Alex Bowman | 20 |
| No. 9 | Chase Elliot | 21 |
| No. 2 | Austin Cindric | 22 |
| No. 31 | Justin Haley | 23 |
| No. 38 | Todd Gilliland | 24 |
| No. 10 | Aric Almirola | 25 |
| No. 7 | Corey LaJoie | 26 |
| No. 41 | Ryan Preece | 27 |
| No. 43 | Erik Jones | 28 |
| No. 21 | Harrison Burton | 29 |
| No. 3 | Austin Dillon | 30 |
| No. 14 | Chase Briscoe | 31 |
| No. 77 | Ty Dillon | 32 |
| No. 42 | Noah Gragson | 33 |
| No. 78 | BJ McLeod | 34 |
The 21st race of NASCAR’s 75th season will be the HighPoint.com 400 taking place on the Pocono Raceway. Cup Series drivers will make their way down to Northeast Pennsylvania to race “The Tricky Triangle” after the conclusion of the Crayon 301 race the week prior.
After so many rain delays this summer, we are happy to report that the forecast for Pennsylvania this weekend shows sunny skies and comfortable temperatures.
And considering this track’s nickname, you can expect this race to be an exciting one. To prepare for the upcoming race, check out this overview on the track, the drivers and how to watch the race at home with DIRECTV.
POCONO 400 RACE INFORMATION
The Pocono 400, sponsored by HighPoint.com, will take place on Sunday July 23, at 2:30 pm ET.
The 160 lap, 400-mile race will be one to remember, as racers battle for a chance to get a spot in the first round of Playoffs. The Cup Series race will be on Sunday, with the practice and qualifying rounds the day before.
Additionally, the Craftsman Truck Series and the Xfinity Series racers will get their chance to take “The Tricky Triangle” on Saturday.
POCONO RACEWAY SPECS
For those wondering why they call Pocono Raceway “The Tricky Triangle,” you’re not the only one. But to understand what the track is like now, it’s helpful to know what it once was.
Originally a three-quarter mile track built in 1968, the track needed a complete redesign due to numerous construction and design issues over the years. So, in 1990, they started a 10-year, $30 million project to revamp the raceway. The redesign included new crash walls and pavement, a unique design, as well as driver amenities that only compare to that at Talladega.
The new and improved Pocono Raceway is now home to two NASCAR Cup Series races every season.
WHY DO THEY CALL POCONO RACEWAY “THE TRICKY TRIANGLE?”
As the raceway’s website explains, the course’s shape is one of the things that makes it special:
“Our unusual triangular configuration is conducive to many lead changes especially with the longest straightaway and the widest main straight with the longest and widest Pit Road. All these features give Pocono uniqueness – a very enjoyable difference.”
The uniqueness of Pocono Raceway makes races more exciting for fans and adds an additional challenge for drivers and their crew. The now 2.5-mile track only has three turns – hence, “The Tricky Triangle” – each of which are banked at different levels. Turn one is banked at 14 degrees, turn two at eight degrees and turn three at six degrees.
It may be a mostly flat course, but that doesn’t make it easy, by any means. For the pit crew, these varied turns and the long straightaways mean tuning the car up just right; you want to be able to gain speed on the straightaways while still being able to handle the different curves with ease.
PLAYER STANDINGS & ENTRY LIST
Check out the entry list for this weekend’s HighPoint.com 400 at Pocono Raceway, plus their current regular season standing after Monday’s New Hampshire race:
PAST WINNERS
The 2022 Cup Series competition at the Pocono Raceway was a lively one, to say the least. No. 9 Chase Elliot was declared the victor of the competition, despite being the third stockcar to pass the waving checkered flag.
Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch were the two drivers ahead of Elliot, but they were soon disqualified after a post-race inspection. Hamlin got into an incident with rival Ross Chastain with 18 laps to go, and while he was able to finish first, his Chevrolet wasn’t able to pass post-race tech. Neither was the No. 18 Toyota driven by Busch.
Behind Elliot, the official winner, came Tyler Reddick and Daniel Suárez in second and third, respectively.
HOW TO WATCH THE POCONO 400?
NASCAR races are available to watch live on NBC and USA networks. And the best part is, every single race is available to watch with your DIRECTV subscription.
The Pocono 400 will air on USA network, channel 242 on DIRECTV. You can catch the race live or record it to the DIRECTV DVR and watch it back later. DIRECTV has the content you want, in a way that works for you.
GET DIRECTV TODAY
Whether you get content via Satellite or via the Internet, you can catch every race of the season, wherever you are. DIRECTV’s CHOICE™ Package provides access to more games, matches and races just for you. With a wide array of regional sports networks (RSNs) and sports add-on channels, you can have it all, for a winning price.
Check out the CHOICE Package now and don’t forget to make your way back here for the latest NASCAR news.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Pocono 400 Cup Series Race?
The Pocono 400 will take place on Sunday, July 23 at 2:30 pm ET.
Where is the Pocono 400 race?
The Pocono 400 will take place at the Pocono Raceway in Northeast Pennsylvania, also known as "The Tricky Triangle."
The content is featured on https://www.directv.com/insider/ is editorial content brought to you by DIRECTV. While some of the programming discussed may now or in the future be available affiliates distribution services, the companies and persons discussed and depicted, and the authors and publishers of licensed content, are not necessarily associated with and do not necessarily endorse DIRECTV. When you click on ads on this site you may be taken to DIRECTV marketing pages that display advertising content. Content sponsored or co-created by programmers is identified as "Sponsored Content" or "Promoted Content."
