Pit Stops : Pocono Raceway

• Friday, July 12th, 2024
• NASCAR Wire Service - Holly Cain

Cole Custer leads the Xfinity Series back to Pocono

New Zealand driver Shane Van Gisbergen collected a series high third win of the season on the Chicago Street Course last week to move into the top position on the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff grid. But racing moves off the city streets to one of the sport’s most traditional ovals, Pocono Raceway for Saturday’s Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 (3 p.m. ET on USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

In eight Xfinity Series races there has never been a repeat winner at the unique 2.5-mile three-turn track and reigning series champion Cole Custer sure would like to change that statistic on Saturday. The driver of the No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford won from pole position at the “Tricky Triangle” in 2019 leading more than half of the laps.

A frustrating 19th-place finish at Chicago snapped a five-race top-10 streak for Custer. Although he is still racing for his first win of 2024, he sits atop the regular season standings by 38 points over JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier.

Six of the season’s 12 Playoff positions are filled with race winners. And Custer currently has the regular season championship lead, leaving five spots still to be decided with eight races remaining before the Xfinity Series Playoffs begin Sept. 28 at Kansas Speedway.

Three drivers that won races last season – Riley Herbst (ranked eighth), A.J. Allmendinger (ninth), and Sammy Smith (12th) – are currently Playoff-bound based on their points positions. But, like Custer, are still looking for their first trophy of the year. Sheldon Creed and Parker Kligerman, ranked 10th and 11th respectively, are racing for their career first wins in the series.

Smith holds only a tenuous 23-point advantage over Ryan Sieg for that 12th and final Playoff position.

Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill is the defending Pocono race winner and his title chase momentum could use a trip to Victory Lane. After winning the first two races of the year – at Daytona Beach and Atlanta – Hill led the points and has been ranked first or second eight times in the 18-race season. After a tough Spring, he’s fourth in the championship heading into Pocono, 60 points behind Custer. He’s had top-10 finishes in the last two races, however.

NASCAR Cup Series driver Josh Berry will make his first Xfinity Series start since he was a full-timer in the series in 2023. He’ll drive the No. 15 AM Racing Chevrolet. This year’s Daytona 500 winner William Byron will drive the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet this weekend and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship leader Corey Heim will be in the No. 26 Sam Hunt Racing Chevrolet.

Ryan Truex will drive the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota making his second start for the team since a victory at Dover Del. in April.

• Explore The Pocono Mountains 225
• Pole Winner: Sheldon Creed
• Age: 26
• Team : No 18 - Friends of Jaclyn Foundation Toyota
• Owner: Joe Gibbs
• Crew Chief: Samuel McAulay
• Sheldon Creed won the Pole Award for the Explore The Pocono Mountains 225 with a lap of 5381 seconds, 167255 mph
• This is his second pole in 89 NASCAR Xfinity Series races
• This is his first pole and 14th top-10 start in 2024
• This is his first pole in three races at Pocono Raceway
• Brandon Jones (second) posted his fifth top-10 start of 2024 and his seventh in nine races at Pocono Raceway
• Justin Allgaier (third) posted his eighth top-10 start at Pocono Raceway It is his 14th in 19 races this season
• Jesse Love (19th) was the fastest qualifying rookie

• Saturday, July 13th, 2024
• NASCAR Wire Service - Holly Cain

Cole Custer earns his first win of the 2024 season at Pocono Raceway

Reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Cole Custer claimed his first win of the 2024 season Saturday beating his closest championship challenger Justin Allgaier to the Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 checkered flag and giving Ford its first series win of the year.

Custer’s No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang took the lead from Allgaier on a re-start with nine laps remaining and then held off the JR Motorsports Chevy by .670-second to secure his 14^th career victory in a thrilling finish at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. He becomes first driver to win multiple NASCAR Xfinity Series races at the historic 2.5-mile track – answering his 2019 win.

“You just try to manage it the best you can but it’s kind of the luck of the draw who gets the best push,’’ a smiling Custer said of having to hold off perennial championship contender Allgaier and third place finisher NASCAR Cup Series regular William Byron in the closing laps.

“That was some Doug Yates horsepower right there. We definitely had it on the straightaways and man, I just can’t say enough about these guys. They’ve worked so hard this whole year and just haven’t had that final result. To finally get it, is so awesome.’’

Allgaier led a race best 30 laps of the 90-lap race with the 25-year old Californian Custer out front for 25 laps – the two drivers each winning a stage. For Allgaier, his Stage 1 victory was a series best 11^th but a pit road penalty during the ensuing pit stop forced him to work his way back up through the field.

And even with all the impressive race statistics and compelling comeback storyline Saturday, it was missing out on the trophy after such a strong showing that stuck with Allgaier when he climbed out of his Chevrolet.

“Really proud of everyone at Junior Motorsports, just really stinks to come out of here second,’’ Allgaier said. “Led so many laps here and feel like same result every time, just not able to go to Victory Lane. … just came up a little short and it’s going to sting for a little while.’’

This year’s Daytona 500 winner and the 2017 Xfinity Series champion Byron was making his third Xfinity Series start of the season and kept the field honest leading 17 laps.

Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Sheldon Creed and Taylor Gray rounded out the Pocono top-five. Kaulig Racing’s A.J. Allmendinger, Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill, Big Machine Racing’s Parker Kligerman and JR Motorsports teammates Sammy Smith and Sam Mayer rounded out the top-10.

Custer extended his lead atop the Xfinity Series championship and now holds a 51-point advantage on Allgaier. With seven races remaining to set the 12-driver Playoff field, Smith holds a 23-point edge over Ryan Sieg for that 12^th position.

• Drivers Entered: 39 (1 drivers will not make the race)
• Laps Scheduled: 90
• Margin of Victory: 0.670 Seconds
• Time of Race: 2 Hours 8 Minutes 26 Seconds
• Average Speed: 105.113
• Cautions: 8 for 30 laps
• Lead Changes: 10
• Green Flag Passes: 1,963 (32.7 passes per green flag lap)

• Explore The Pocono Mountains 225
• Race Winner: Cole Custer
• Age: 26
• Team : No 00 - Haas Automation Ford
• Owner: Gene Haas
• Crew Chief: Jonathan Toney
• Cole Custer won the Explore The Pocono Mountains 225, his 14th victory in 162 Xfinity Series races
• This is his first victory and 15th top-10 finish in 2024
• This is his second victory and fifth top-10 finish in six races at Pocono Raceway
• Justin Allgaier (second) posted his fifth top-10 finish in nine races at Pocono Raceway It is his 11th top-10 finish in 2024
• William Byron (third) posted his first top-10 finish in two races at Pocono Raceway
• Jesse Love (22nd) was the highest finishing rookie
• Cole Custer leads the point standings by 51 points over Justin Allgaier