NASCAR Cup Series

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and the XFINITY Series head to Pocono Raceway this weekend while the Camping World Truck Series travels to Texas Motor Speedway. There are 39 drivers on the entry list for the Cup Series Axalta presents the Pocono 400 race.

They went and done it. Kyle Busch comes in leading early in the race at Dover. For whatever reason, when they went to tighten up the rear left lug nuts, the air gun was removing them instead. When the jack dropped, the car left, and shortly after the tire left the car. Bad news for Kyle. Today, bad news for the crew.

VELVEETA® Shells & Cheese is partnering with Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and the No. 31 Chevrolet SS team to give NASCAR fans a taste of the one and only LIQUID GOLD. VELVEETA Shells & Cheese will serve as the primary sponsor for select races, beginning June 18 at Michigan International Speedway, and an associate sponsor for the remainder of the 2017 season. The paint scheme was unveiled live on FS1's "NASCAR Race Hub" this evening.

The Tricky Triangle: The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will be traveling to a very unique racetrack this weekend as it pulls into Pocono Raceway for the fourteenth race of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.

Pocono Raceway’s “Tricky Triangle” doesn’t appear to be so tricky for Ryan Blaney and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing team. In their two 2016 starts at the Pennsylvania track, Blaney and company finished 10th and 11th.

Strategy essential: “Pocono is one of those tracks that you can – depending on where you are running with the leader or close to the leader – you can pit and stay on the lead lap,” Allmendinger said. “Strategy there with the stage racing is really going to be critical to how it plays out when you pit. If you’re maybe not in position to get points in that stage, you can still pit and stay on the lead lap and restart up front. There is going to be a lot of strategy we are going to have to play through as the race evolves, keeps changing."

Over the course of the 78 races held at the uniquely shaped Pocono Raceway, Chevrolet has earned 32 victories at the ‘Tricky Triangle’, more than any other manufacturer.

SETTING THE STAGE: In this year’s first 13 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) events, Toyota drivers have combined to win 14 stages and earn valuable bonus points for the playoffs, which begin at Chicagoland Speedway in September. MENCS points leader and Camry driver Martin Truex Jr. leads the series with eight stage wins and, when combined with his two victories (Las Vegas and Kansas) this season, also leads the competition with 18 bonus points. Other Cup Camry drivers with stage wins and bonus points in 2017 include Kyle Busch (three), Denny Hamlin (two) and Matt Kenseth (one).

“Pocono is a good track for us. I like both Pocono and Michigan, so we have some solid tracks coming up for the No. 88 gang. We were in the simulator this week working on Pocono. We’ve been working really, really hard the last three weeks. It’s been going great – the cars have gotten better in practice and we’re seeing some good improvements, so we’re going to keep grinding. We’re going in the right direction.”

Pocono Raceway, site of this weekend’s Pocono 400, is one of the more unique tracks on the NASCAR circuit. Eddie Wood, co-owner of the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion driven by Ryan Blaney, likes the challenges it presents.