Dale Earnhardt Jr is having a rather pleasant season thus far. On Sunday, he swept the season series at Pocono, upped his count to three wins this term, tops the standings, and is second only to Jeff Gordon in accumulated points. No bad at all.
1. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt used a no-tire pit stop to take the lead and subdued the challenge of Kevin Harvick down the stretch to win the GoBowling.Com 400 at Pocono. The victory completed Earnhardt’s season sweep at the “Tricky Triangle” and was his third win of the year.
From the impact of crew chief suspensions inspired by the No. 11 Denny Hamlin penalty to the forecasted rain that never reared its ugly head, here is what else was surprising and not surprising in the 41st Annual GoBowling.com 400 at Pocono Raceway.
In 2006 it was Denny Hamlin. This time around, it was Dale Earnhardt Jr. who won for the second time this year at Pocono Raceway, effectively sweeping the season. Earnhardt picked up his third win of the season and his 22nd career victory in NASCAR’s most elite series. The last time he was able to take the credit for sweeping a race, was in 2002 at Talladega Superspeedway.
Third generation driver Christian PaHud had his dream come true by winning the 2014 PEAK Stock Car Dream Challenge. PaHud, who hails from Dayton, Ohio, has raced in the Southeast Limited Late Model Series and is pursuing his Associates Degree in Applied Science. He has more than 250 career races in his resume, starting his career in go karts on his fourth birthday.
In the 20th race of the 33 race-long Nationwide series, Brad Keselowski dominated a field of Nationwide drivers to win his third race at Iowa Speedway. Brad Keselowski was followed by Joe Gibbs Racing driver, Michael McDowell and Roush Fenway Racing’s Trevor Bayne.
Brad Keselowski dominated most of the evening, leading 146 of the 250 laps to score his third win at Iowa Speedway, tying two-time Nationwide Series Champion, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., with three victories.
Erik Jones, the 18 year old driver of the No. 51 ToyotaCare Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports, put his two bad ARCA Racing experiences at Pocono Raceway behind him, redeeming himself with a top-10 finish in his first ever NASCAR Camping World Truck Race at the Tricky Triangle.
Austin Dillon, in the No. 3 Yuengling Light Lager Chevrolet, took the checkered flag after a ten-lap overtime shootout in the Pocono Mountains 150. Dillon also brought Chevrolet back to Victory Lane, the first time since brother Ty Dillon won the race in Texas last year.
Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender and Drive4Diversity grad Kyle Larson scored his first career pole behind the wheel of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet at one of the most demanding tracks on the circuit, Pocono Raceway.
The Racing to End Alzheimer's with Stephen Cameron Racing team saw a potential top 10 run spoiled by a mechanical problem with eight minutes remaining in Saturday’s IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge two-hour race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
The ARCA Menards Series platform has a rare mid-season off weekend with no races scheduled for the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, and ARCA Menards Series West.
The 2008 Daytona 500 champion from South Bend, Indiana, will make his first NASCAR national touring series start since 2023 in a one-race return with Kaulig Racing's 'Free Agent' RAM entry at North Wilkesboro Speedway.