Denny Hamlin begins on the pole for Sunday’s Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway, with the start time moved up to 1 p.m. ET due to an inclement-weather forecast. The 160-lap, 400-mile race runs on Prime Video, with MRN handling live radio coverage and
Denny Hamlin didn’t just survive the Michigan race before the Cup Series turns toward the Pennsylvania mountains—he turned it into a launching point.
With the Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway set to go early. the pressure shifts quickly from “finish strong” to “finish first. ” because the start time itself has changed. Originally scheduled for a 3 p.m. ET start, the race was moved up two hours to 1 p.m. ET after an inclement-weather forecast for the area. Drivers will now chase the checkered flag at Pocono’s “Tricky Triangle” while watching the sky.
Hamlin is already positioned to make that scramble count. He will start on the pole, coming off back-to-back Cup Series wins at Nashville and Michigan. The numbers at Pocono are even more blunt: Hamlin has seven career wins at the track. the most in series history. and his 17 top-five finishes across 36 races rank third on the all-time list. A victory Sunday would also place him among a select group of drivers to win three straight Cup races—an accomplishment already held by active competitors Tyler Reddick. Christopher Bell. Kyle Larson. Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski.
The field at Pocono also carries another layer of emotion. The NASCAR community is still mourning the recent losses of past champions Kyle Busch and Ned Jarrett, and tributes were held at Pocono Raceway on Sunday before the checkered flag dropped.
When the race clock hits 1 p.m. ET, attention will be fixed on both the track’s 2.5-mile challenge and the order of the starting lineup. Hamlin’s position on the pole—paired with his Pocono record—puts him at the center of the race-day narrative. but the clock and potential thunderstorms add a volatility that can rearrange even the best-laid plans.
For fans trying to follow along, the Essentials are straightforward. The Great American Getaway 400 presented by VISITPA is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. ET Sunday at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. There is no national TV broadcast for the race because it will be broadcast exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. MRN will carry live radio coverage.
If you plan to watch on streaming, pre-race coverage begins at 12 p.m. ET on Prime Video. Individual driver cameras are available on HBO Max.
The race itself is 160 laps—400 miles total—around the 2.5-mile track. It will be run in three stages: Stage 1 ends on Lap 30 (30 laps), Stage 2 ends on Lap 95 (65 laps), and Stage 3 ends on Lap 160 (65 laps).
Last year’s winner brings a direct reminder of how weather and timing can swing outcomes at this venue. After a weather delay, Chase Briscoe outdueled JGR teammate Denny Hamlin for the win. Briscoe led 72 laps in the race and later went on to win three times in the 2025 season. adding checkered flags at Darlington and Talladega.
The current leaders at Pocono Raceway—through 25 laps—are listed with car numbers as follows: (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota; (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet; (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota; (7) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet; (19) Chase Briscoe, Toyota.
The Great American Getaway 400 starting lineup at Pocono Raceway:
(11) Denny Hamlin. Toyota
(5) Kyle Larson. Chevrolet
(7) Daniel Suarez. Chevrolet
(54) Ty Gibbs. Toyota
(19) Chase Briscoe. Toyota
(17) Chris Buescher. Ford
(43) Erik Jones. Toyota
(42) John Hunter Nemechek. Toyota
(24) William Byron. Chevrolet
(12) Ryan Blaney. Ford
(22) Joey Logano. Ford
(48) Alex Bowman. Chevrolet
(71) Michael McDowell. Chevrolet
(33) Austin Hill. Chevrolet
(41) Cole Custer. Chevrolet
(45) Tyler Reddick. Toyota
(2) Austin Cindric. Ford
(38) Zane Smith. Ford
(16) AJ Allmendinger. Chevrolet
(21) Josh Berry. Ford
(47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Chevrolet
(20) Christopher Bell. Toyota
(9) Chase Elliott. Chevrolet
(1) Ross Chastain. Chevrolet
(35) Riley Herbst. Toyota
(77) Carson Hocevar. Chevrolet
(10) Ty Dillon. Chevrolet
(88) Connor Zilisch. Chevrolet
(34) Todd Gilliland. Ford
(4) Noah Gragson. Ford
(97) Shane van Gisbergen. Chevrolet
(3) Austin Dillon. Chevrolet
(51) Cody Ware. Chevrolet
(78) Daniel Dye. Chevrolet
(60) Ryan Preece. Ford
(62) Casey Mears. Chevrolet
(6) Brad Keselowski. Ford
(23) Bubba Wallace. Toyota.
NASCAR Pocono Raceway Great American Getaway 400 Denny Hamlin Tyler Reddick Tyler Reddick points leader Amazon Prime Video HBO Max driver cameras MRN live radio 1 p.m. ET start time weather delay
Pole at 1pm… so they moved it cuz weather but then just race anyway? Classic.
I don’t even watch much NASCAR but Hamlin on the pole is like, guaranteed he wins right? Also Prime Video sounds sketchy, like why not just MRN streaming everything. Weather better not mess it up.
Wait, it says 160 laps 400 miles but then it’s on a 2.5 mile track, so that math is weird? Or maybe they count it differently? Anyway RIP Kyle Busch and Ned Jarrett stuff is heavy, I just hope they don’t cancel again.
Pocono is called Tricky Triangle but they act like Hamlin has it on lock. Seven wins there? That’s gotta be fake or like some stat got mixed up because I swear Larson dominates more. Also starting at 1pm instead of 3pm… that’s just to help certain teams, right? lol