The thunderous roar of engines was silenced as rain and lightning wreaked havoc at the NASCAR Cup race at Pocono, causing a delay in the highly anticipated event. Originally scheduled to start at 2:20 pm EST, the race faced a setback with inclement weather hovering over the 2.5-mile speedway. Despite the track drying efforts and the lifting of the lightning hold, fans were left waiting for the action to unfold.
Pocono, known for its unpredictable weather, has seen its fair share of delays in the past. The last time a Cup race at Pocono was pushed to Monday was back in 2016, when fog shortened the race and led to Chris Buescher clinching his first career win. As the anticipation grew for the race to kick off, Buescher found himself positioned on the front row alongside Denny Hamlin, who holds an impressive seven wins at Pocono, making him a formidable contender on the track.
In a surprising turn of events, Hamlin had to miss the recent Cup race in Mexico City due to the birth of his son, Jameson Drew Hamlin. However, he made a triumphant return at Michigan, claiming victory in his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing car. The excitement at Pocono was further fueled by Connor Zilisch’s victory in the NASCAR Xfinity race, with racing legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. guiding him from the pit box.
The action-packed weekend also saw Layne Riggs emerging victorious in the Truck race after challenges faced by other contenders. Despite the rain delay at Pocono, NASCAR has been relatively lucky this season, with no races being pushed to Monday in the first 16 rounds of the 2025 season. As the clock ticked and the anticipation mounted, fans and drivers alike waited anxiously for the skies to clear and the race to begin, eager to witness the adrenaline-fueled competition unfold at the iconic Pocono Raceway.