Jimmie Johnson: Fresh off a win at Dover, Johnson finished third in the Axalta 400 at Pocono, his ninth top-five of the year. He is third in the Sprint Cup points standings, 78 out of first.
Three drivers. When it came to the story of the Pocono race, only three mattered. You probably wanted to know who led the race for the opening few laps, and that would have been Carl Edwards. He finished 15th. For the rest of the way, it was down to two names, right down to the final lap; Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick. No one else much mattered on Sunday.
But this victory was about so much more than mere numbers. Its significance transcends breaking a losing streak, leading the most laps or cementing his standing in the Chase. This was about beating the odds, both professionally and personally.
In a peculiar race at Pocono, filled with shifting and unexpected bumps, here is what else was surprising and not surprising in the 34th annual Axalta We Paint Winners 400.
This week, I’m going with Dale Earnhardt Jr. The driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet is coming off a sweep of this track last year, winning both this race and the August race. He was fast in Friday practice, running fourth, and with his Talladega win, he can now afford to gamble a little bit to get a second win this season.
As the laps wound down in the Winstar World Casino and Resort 400(k), it looked as though Daniel Hemric was on course for his second straight top-five finish. However, with seven laps to go, the tire would blow out on his truck, resulting in a spin.
In his first full-time season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, 19-year-old Tyler Reddick has emerged as one of NASCAR’s rising stars. He captured his second win of the season at Dover International Speedway last Friday and moved into second place in the series point standings, 11 points behind leader Matt Crafton.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. heads to Pocono Raceway with winning on his mind. Last year he swept both Sprint Cup events at the 2.5-mile track, becoming only the seventh driver in track history to accomplish this feat.
Stay in your damn car. Jennifer Jo Cobb did not during Friday’s truck race, leaving the confines of the cab to direct a little displeasure after being wrecked. On Sunday, Trevor Bayne got wrecked and headed onto to the apron to voice his displeasure.
In 169 NASCAR Cup Series starts at EchoPark Speedway, Richard Childress Racing has earned nine wins and four pole awards, including Kevin Harvick’s emotional victory in 2001.
Layne Riggs heads to EchoPark Speedway following a strong showing in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series season opener at the Daytona International Speedway
With a top-10 finish in the season-opening Daytona 500 in the books, Josh Berry and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team head into the second race of the 2026 season carrying early momentum that has been hard to come by in recent years.
The fourth annual Open Wheel Showdown is excited to announce the addition of Non-Wing Sprint Cars for its 2026 running at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, November 5–7.
