NASCAR at Pocono: How to watch weekend Cup doubleheader races

NASCAR’s Cup Series will run two races this weekend in Pennsylvania to close out the month. The Pocono Organics CBD 325 is Saturday at 3 p.m. on NBCSN, followed by the Explore the Pocono Mountains 350 on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. on NBCSN.

Saturday’s event at Pocono Raceway will be 325 miles (130 laps) with stage breaks on Laps 25, 77 and 130. The race at the same track in Long Pond, Pennsylvania., will be slightly longer the following day. That race is 350 miles (140 laps) with stages ending on Laps 30, 85 and 140.

Kyle Larson will start on the pole Saturday based on NASCAR’s performance-based metrics formula in lieu of qualifying. He won the last three consecutive races, as well as the non-points All-Star Race, and started on the pole for all four events.

The finishing order on Saturday will determine the starting order for Sunday, with the top-20 finishers getting inverted and 21st place on back starting in order of their latest finish.

Larson, who sits 10 points behind series points leader Denny Hamlin, has the best odds to win (+210), according to BetMGM. Hamlin has the second-best odds at +700, followed by Chase Elliott (+800) and Kyle Busch (+800), then Kevin Harvick (+900), according to the site.

Hamlin won the last Cup race at the track in 2020, and Harvick won the race before that, but neither driver has been having as dominant a season as he had last year. That dominance this year has been reserved for Larson, who has led more than 80% of the laps in the last three Cup races. Larson has three top-five finishes in 12 races at Pocono, a track deemed the “Tricky Triangle” for its three corners that give it a triangular shape.

“It’s a tough racetrack,” No. 12 driver Ryan Blaney said. “It’s just different than anything else. It’s got three different corners that are way different from each other, and it makes it tough setting up the car.”

Blaney also said the doubleheader format will be no issue. Teams can use feedback Saturday to adjust their setups and strategy for Sunday, and Blaney said he prefers the pacing.

“Racers like to race,” Blaney said. “I love the doubleheader weekends idea, and I loved it last year.”

“I wouldn’t mind seeing one or two more doubleheaders,” Blaney added. “Just because it’s great to run two days in a row. It’s good for drivers and teams. It’s good for fans to come out and watch two Cup races, so I am all for the doubleheaders. Bring them on and maybe we can get a couple more here.”

NASCAR Saturday race at Pocono how to watch

Race: Pocono Organics CBD 325

When: Saturday, June 26

When: 3 p.m. ET

TV: NBCSN

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 325 miles (130 laps) with stages ending on Laps 25, 77 and 130

NASCAR Sunday race at Pocono how to watch

Race: Explore the Pocono Mountains 350

When: Sunday, June 27

When: 3:30 p.m. ET

TV: NBCSN

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 350 miles (140 laps) with stages ending on Laps 30, 85 and 140

NASCAR at Pocono starting lineup

Alexandra Andrejev

The Charlotte Observer

NASCAR and Charlotte FC beat reporter Alex Andrejev joined The Observer in January 2020 following an internship at The Washington Post. She is a two-time APSE award winner for her NASCAR beat coverage and National Motorsports Press Association award winner. She is the host of McClatchy’s podcast “Payback” about women’s soccer. Support my work with a digital subscription