Story By: SAM MAHONEY / TOYOTA RACING – PLANO, TX – NASCAR returns to the “Tricky Triangle” at Pocono Raceway with all three national series in action with just two race weekends before the Olympic break.
NASCAR National Series – NCS | NXS | NCTS
Reddick lead Camry XSE in Cup Series points … Following his second-place finish in Chicago, Tyler Reddick is now the top Toyota Camry XSE in the Cup Series points, sitting in third position just 23 behind the points lead, while also currently in fifth in the Playoff points standings. Joining him inside the series points top-10 are Denny Hamlin (fourth), Martin Truex Jr. (fifth), Christopher Bell (eighth) and Ty Gibbs (ninth). Bell also continues to lead the Playoff standings heading to Pocono.
Hamlin seeks Pocono repeat … Pocono Raceway is one of Hamlin’s most successful tracks, where he holds seven career victories, a track record, including in last year’s exciting race – which he earned Toyota’s 600th NASCAR victory. A repeat victory at Pocono for the driver of the No. 11 Camry XSE would be his fourth triumph of 2024 as he looks to climb the series and Playoffs points standings. Toyota also goes for four wins in the last six races at Pocono.
Reddick top-10 streak continues … The runner-up finish for Reddick on Sunday in Chicago also extended his top-10 finishing streak to three, as well as six of the last seven races. Overall, he leads the Cup Series with 13 top-10 finishes – two more than any other driver. The California native comes to the weekend with three consecutive top-10s at Pocono too, including runner-up finishes in the last two outings at the Pennsylvania track.
Toyota drivers doing double duty at Pocono … Running both the Xfinity and Truck Series races at Pocono this weekend will be Corey Heim and Taylor Gray. Heim will pilot his full-time No. 11 Tundra TRD Pro Friday evening with TRICON Garage, followed by making his ninth Xfinity Series start this season on Saturday with Sam Hunt Racing in the No. 26 GR Supra, to which he has two consecutive top-10 finishes coming into the weekend. Gray, Heim’s Truck Series teammate, will run the No. 17 Tundra TRD Pro on Friday and the No. 19 GR Supra on Saturday for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR). Both seek their first career Xfinity Series wins.
Ryan Truex back in GR Supra … Also returning to the Xfinity Series is Ryan Truex, who will run the No. 20 GR Supra for JGR. Truex is making his first start since Portland and looks for his second victory this season after his Dover triumph in the spring. The No. 20 team also seeks their sixth win of the season, most recently triumphant at Nashville with John Hunter Nemechek.
Three Tundra TRD Pros in Playoffs … Heading to Pocono this weekend, three Tundra TRD Pro and TRICON Garage drivers find themselves inside the Truck Playoffs in Heim (second), Taylor Gray (seventh) and Tanner Gray (10th). With his four wins on the season, Heim also finds himself in first in the Playoff points standings. Their Toyota teammate, Stewart Friesen, sits right outside the Playoffs in 12th place, just 17 points behind 10th with six races remaining in the regular season.
Wright back in the No. 1 … Wexford, Pennsylvania, native, Kris Wright, is back with Team Toyota and TRICON Garage this weekend at his home track of Pocono piloting the No. 1 Tundra TRD Pro. Wright has made 46 career starts in the Truck Series, his most recent at Texas earlier this season, which was also in the No. 1. Friday will be Wright’s third career Trucks start at Pocono Raceway, his first since 2022.