2026 Great American Getaway 400 (Pocono) Race Recap

By Adam Carabine

Is this déjà vu? (we said that last week too).  For the third week in a row, Denny Hamlin has won the race from the pole!  This week, it was a little less complicated for him, as he didn’t have to go to the rear early in the race. 

Let’s have a look at how it all shook down!

Lap 1:  Denny Hamlin on pole, Kyle Larson beside him, the race is green!  Larson takes the lead from Hamlin by Turn 2.

Lap 2:  Daniel Suarez gets by Hamlin who is struggling early for P2.

Lap 3:  Hamlin seems to get it back together and gets back to P2 past Suarez.

Lap 8:  Another silent tribute lap in honour of Kyle Busch.

Lap 15:  Larson’s lead is up to 1.5 seconds over Denny Hamlin.

Lap 18:  Ty Gibbs is starting to charge forward.  He’s up to P4 and right on Suarez’s tail.  Hamlin is also cutting Larson’s lead down.

Lap 20:  Gibbs to P3.

Lap 24:  Hamlin is right at Larson’s rear bumper. 

Lap 25:  As Larson tries to pass a lapped car, Casey Mears in the 62, he gets slowed up, and Denny Hamlin capitalizes and takes the lead.

Lap 26:  With 5 to go in the first stage, there are a few takers on pit road.  Like road courses, Pocono is long enough that you can jump the stage by pitting ahead of time and not losing a lap.

Lap 30:  Denny Hamlin wins Stage One.  Followed by Larson, Gibbs, Chase Briscoe, and Chris Buescher.

Lap 34:  Denny wins the race off pit road.  Slow stop for Ty Gibbs after an issue with the right rear tire.  Six cars stayed out after flipping the stage.

Lap 37:  Green flag, John Hunter Nemechek and Tyler Reddick.

Lap 38:  The two leaders are side-by-side for the entire lap, jockeying for position.

Lap 39:  Reddick finally gets clear and takes the sole lead.

Lap 41:  CAUTION – Zane Smith goes around in Turn One after a tough battle.

Lap 46:  Back to green, Reddick ahead of Nemechek, but at the tail end of the lap, CAUTION with a bunch of cars affected in the middle/back of the pack.  The lone DNF in this wreck is Brad Keselowski. 

Lap 49:  13 cars stay out for track position, but everyone else pits.  Reddick wins the race off pit road and will start 14^th.

Lap 53:  Green flag, JH Nemechek and Chase Briscoe on the front row.

Lap 64:  Shoutout to Spire Motorsports, all three cars running in the Top 10, and Legacy Motor Club running P1 and P3!

Lap 76:  A few pitters here, 20 laps to go in the second stage.

Lap 78:  Briscoe pits from P2, now it’s Nemechek and fellow LMC teammate Erik Jones P1 and 2, respectively.

Lap 79:  Nemechek pits from the lead. 

Lap 80:  Now Jones pits.  Chase Elliott cycles up to the lead.

Lap 91:  With five to go in the stage, some of the leaders pit to jump this stage.

Lap 95:  Todd Gilliland stays out to win Stage Two.  Followed by Briscoe, JH Nemechek, Jones, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Lap 98:  Pit road opens, but 21 cars flipped the stage and will stay out.

Lap 102:  Green flag for the Final Stage.  Briscoe is the control car alongside Nemechek.

Lap 103:  Nemechek gets the lead as Briscoe falls back.  Hamlin up to P2.

Lap 105:  CAUTION – Casey Mears loses a wheel in the tunnel turn.

Lap 111:  Back to green.  Nemechek and Hamlin, but Hamlin gets the lead.

Lap 118:  Some takers on pit road.  Right on the cusp of the fuel window to the end of the race.

Lap 122:  Hamlin pits from the lead with 39 to go.  Reddick to the lead.

Lap 135:  Reddick now pits from the lead, Ross Chastain follows suit, and Ryan Blaney takes the lead.

Lap 136:  Hamlin is P5, the first one who has already done his final pit stop.  However, Christopher Bell is going to try and stretch his fuel and not need a final stop?

Lap 138:  Blaney pits from the lead, as he’s late in the cycle.  Suarez joins him too.  Now we have Bell in the lead, Hamlin in P2, 12 seconds back, but Bell is in heavy save mode, as he’s a little short on fuel.

Lap 140:  Bell’s lead is now 10 seconds.  They’re telling Bell to save more so he can push in the final few laps.  Meanwhile Byron is coming up behind Hamlin.

Lap 144:  17 to go in the race.   Hamlin is now 9 seconds back.

Lap 147:  Reddick is on fresher tires, with no fuel issues, and has made his way up to P5, charging forward.

Lap 149:  Hamlin is 6 seconds back now.

Lap 152:  Now it’s 4 seconds.  It’s not looking like Bell will be able to hold the lead, but they’re hopeful it can convert into a solid finish, if not the win.

Lap 153:  Reddick up to P4, passing Nemechek.

Lap 155:  Under 2 seconds from leader Bell to Hamlin.

Lap 156:  Hamlin to the lead.  Bell P2, and Byron behind, 2 seconds back.

Lap 158:  Byron to P2, Reddick to P3,

Lap 159:  Reddick gets P2 from Byron, but probably doesn’t have enough time to get to Hamlin.  Bell runs out of fuel and has to limp it to pit road!

Lap 160:  Hamlin wins the race! Reddick P2.  Bell unfortunately has to finish 26^th after running out of fuel. 

Denny Hamlin now owns 9^th on the all-time wins list, with 64.  This is his 8^th win at Pocono, which is also the site of his first ever Cup Series win.  It’s the first time Denny Hamlin has ever won three Cup Series races in a row. 

Next week we are in San Diego for the street course on the Navy Base!