Denny Hamlin soars to Busch Light Pole at Pocono

Denny Hamlin topped Pocono's qualifying to claim the Busch Light Pole for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway, posting 173.250 mph in his No. 11 Toyota to secure his sixth pole at Pocono and 51st Cup Series pole overall. Kyle Larson was second fastest at 173.067 mph, followed by Daniel Suárez at 172.881 mph, Ty Gibbs at 172.771 mph, and Chase Briscoe at 172.639 mph. Carson Hocevar crashed into the Turn 2 wall while exiting Group 1, and Bubba Wallace collided with the same wall, damaging the front of his No. 23 Toyota; Brad Keselowski had an engine issue and will start toward the rear.

In practice, Kyle Larson led at 170.707 mph, followed by Hamlin (170.245 mph), Suárez (170.168 mph), Hocevar (169.994 mph), and Chris Buescher (169.847 mph). Minor incidents included Hocevar and Wallace spinning and a single Group 1 caution limiting action. The race is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. ET with coverage on Prime Video, HBO Max, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

With Hamlin seeking another strong performance at Pocono, teams will reassess setups and strategies after qualifying as they prepare for a competitive, weather-friendly race day.