Hamlin, 7-time winner at Pocono, claims pole

Perhaps not excessively surprisingly, Pocono (Pa.) Raceway's all-time winningest driver, Denny Hamlin, was fastest successful the tract Saturday to gain rod presumption for Sunday's The Great American Getaway 400 (2 p.m. ET connected Amazon Prime, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Hamlin's Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 Toyota volition instrumentality the greenish emblem to commencement the NASCAR Cup Series contention and historically-speaking, nary 1 has led the tract to much checkered flags; his 7 wins astatine Pocono are astir successful history. And he's finished archetypal oregon 2nd successful 5 of the past 8 races connected the 2.5-mile unsocial three-turn track.

Hamlin's thigh of 172.599 mph was .083-second faster than Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing's Chris Buescher successful the No. 17 Ford. Spire Motorsports' Carson Hocevar (Chevrolet), Legacy Motor Club's John Hunter Nemechek (Toyota) and Haas Factory Team's Cole Custer (Ford) rounded retired the top-five successful qualifying.

It marks a large instrumentality for the season's three-time contention victor Hamlin who is backmost connected the grid aft receiving a waiver from NASCAR, missing past weekend's inaugural contention successful Mexico City to beryllium location for the commencement of his son.

"We typically tin measurement up from practice," said Hamlin, who was not adjacent among the top-10 fastest drivers successful the afternoon's signifier session. "We had bully adjustments truthful ne'er truly panicked excessively much

"And evidently due to the fact that I was a small much rested than the remainder of the tract close there, I was capable to amusement a small much speed," helium added with a grin and motion to missing past week's race.

"Every week we person a bully changeable to triumph and this squad conscionable knows what I request retired of the car. The cars and tires person changed implicit time, but you inactive marque velocity astatine this way the aforesaid way. I was capable to execute determination successful qualifying and that's a bully commencement for us."

Of note, the existent NASCAR Cup Series title leader, Hendrick Motorsports' William Byron crashed his No. 24 Chevrolet precocious successful the qualifying session. The squad had to rotation retired a back-up car for Sunday's contention truthful Byron volition commencement from the rear of the field.

Hamlin's JGR teammates, Chase Briscoe and Ty Gibbs volition commencement sixth and seventh and Tyler Reddick, who drives the 23XI Racing Toyota co-owned by Hamlin was eighth fastest. JRG's Christopher Bell volition enactment up ninth connected the grid and Trackhouse Racing's Daniel Suarez volition rotation disconnected 10th. Six of the top-10 cars were Toyotas.

Defending contention winner, Ryan Blaney was 20th quickest successful the No. 12 Team Penske Ford.

Four drivers did not marque qualifying runs, including Reddick's 23XI Racing teammate Bubba Wallace, whose squad rolled his car disconnected the enactment conscionable earlier his run. Wood Brothers' Josh Berry, Rick Ware Racing's Cody Ware and NY Racing's Brennan Poole besides did not marque qualifying laps.