Kyle Busch made a gamble at the end of Sunday's Explore the Pocono Mountains 350, and it paid off with a checkered flag — the driver's second of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series schedule.
Busch was in a three-way battle late with William Byron and Denny Hamlin, and all three drivers were in need of fuel. While the latter two elected to pit for fuel within the final five laps, Busch elected to risk it all and stay on the track. That capped a day where the younger Busch brother had to fight off transmission issues — he was stuck in fourth gear heading into the pits during the Stage 2 break.
MORE: Watch NASCAR racing live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)
Busch wasn't the only driver to put together an excellent race: Kyle Larson, who lost out on a fourth straight Cup Series victory Saturday because of a blown tire, finished second with his backup car.
Sporting News tracked live updates and lap-by-lap highlights from NASCAR's race at Pocono on Sunday, the second in a weekend doubleheader. Check out the complete results from the 140-lap, 350-mile Explore the Pocono Mountains 350:
NASCAR at Pocono live updates, highlights from Sunday race
(All times Eastern.)
Official results
Finish | Driver | Car No. | Team |
1 | Kyle Busch | 18 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
2 | Kyle Larson | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports |
3 | Brad Keselowski | 2 | Team Penske |
4 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
5 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing |
6 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske |
7 | Alex Bowman | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports |
8 | Ryan Preece | 37 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
9 | Tyler Reddick | 8 | Richard Childress Racing |
10 | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske |
11 | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
12 | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports |
13 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing |
14 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
15 | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse Racing Team |
16 | Aric Almirola | 10 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
17 | Michael McDowell | 34 | Front Row Motorsports |
18 | Matt DiBenedetto | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing |
19 | Chris Buescher | 17 | Roush Fenway Racing |
20 | Kurt Busch | 1 | Chip Ganassi Racing |
21 | Chase Briscoe | 14 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
22 | Ryan Newman | 6 | Roush Fenway Racing |
23 | Corey LaJoie | 7 | Spire Motorsports |
24 | Cole Custer | 41 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
25 | Justin Allgaier | 77 | Spire Motorsports |
26 | Ross Chastain | 42 | Chip Ganassi Racing |
27 | Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports |
28 | Cody Ware | 51 | Petty Ware Racing |
29 | BJ McLeod | 78 | Live Fast Motorsports |
30 | James Davison | 15 | Rick Ware Racing |
31 | Erik Jones | 43 | Richard Petty Motorsports |
32 | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
33 | Quin Houff | 00 | StarCom Racing |
34 | Anthony Alfredo | 38 | Front Row Motorsports |
35 | Josh Bilicki | 52 | Rick Ware Racing |
36 | Garrett Smithley | 53 | Rick Ware Racing |
37 | Timmy Hill | 66 | Motorsports Business Management |
38 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
6:20 p.m.: Your full top 10:
- Kyle Busch
- Kyle Larson
- Brad Keselowski
- Kevin Harvick
- Bubba Wallace
- Ryan Blaney
- Alex Bowman
- Ryan Preece
- Tyler Reddick
- Joey Logano
6:19 p.m.: And that's it: Kyle Busch saves just enough fuel for a late push to the checkered flag. An incredible race from him, especially considering he had transmission issues earlier in the race.
RETWEET TO CONGRATULATE @KyleBusch on his WIN at @PoconoRaceway!@JoeGibbsRacing // #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/zp54txZYtO
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) June 27, 2021
6:16 p.m.: Now Hamlin pits. Busch is gonna risk it on the final lap with a 7-second lead over Larson.
6:15 p.m. And now Byron pits! Hamlin has the lead with a chance to win his first race of the year with two laps to go! Kyle Busch is hot on his tail.
6:12 p.m.: Byron maintains roughly a two-second lead over Hamlin and Kyle Busch with just five laps remaining. All are in danger of running out of fuel.
Byron.
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 27, 2021
Hamlin.
Kyle Busch.
Who has enough fuel? Who is going to win? Five to go at @PoconoRaceway ! pic.twitter.com/8FtNDXAm8v
6:09 p.m.: Keselowski pits for fuel with nine laps left. Byron takes the lead and Keselowski falls to seventh.
6:01 p.m.: Looks like some teams are going to stretch their fuel.
A group of contenders who pitted on Lap 94, including @KurtBusch, might try to stretch it on fuel. @NASCARonNBC listens to the No. 1 team. pic.twitter.com/GQreH7IGfo
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 27, 2021
6 p.m.: Keselowski, still in the lead, has the most laps driven since his last pit among the top drivers (34). Next closest is Byron, in second place, with 27.
5:55 p.m.: Bowman pits, leaving Keselowski as your leader with 24 laps remaining.
5:51 p.m.: Looks like Stenhouse's car is smoking a little bit as he pits.
5:46 p.m.: Meanwhile, Bowman is still comfortably in the lead, though he hasn't pitted since Lap 73.
5:38 p.m.: Oof, a huge mistake on Elliott's part.
Chase Elliott loses the lead because he did not maintain speed.
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) June 27, 2021
Take a look at what happened that led to Christopher Bell leading the field to the restart. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/E7vsviAEPN
5:36 p.m.: Wow, it looks like Elliott has another flat to his front right tire. He pits again with 34 to go.
5:41 p.m.: And now Chase Elliott is heading to pit row. Looks like he has a flat. He'll get a completely new set of tires.
5:38 p.m.: Ross Chastain and Bell have contact, and it looks like Chastain is having car issues. Shortly after, Elliott hits Bell with a much bigger hit and pits, causing Bell to pit. No caution.
Hard racing leads to multiple issues for @RossChastain and @CBellRacing early in the final stage. (📺: NBCSN) pic.twitter.com/rA74k09djA
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 27, 2021
WHOA.
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) June 27, 2021
Chase Elliott gets loose, and hits Christopher Bell! #NASCAR // NBCSN pic.twitter.com/OjisJ4GURV
5:37 p.m.: Bowman clears Bell's No. 20 to take the lead coming out of the restart! Are we looking at a two-win weekend for the 48?
5:30 p.m.: Caution 4 (Lap 94). Looks like Corey LaJoie ran into the back of Erik Jones' car, forcing him into the back of Cole Custer's No. 41 car. Looks like Jones got the worst of it with a severely blown front left tire.
. @Erik_Jones fans are not going to like seeing this.
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 27, 2021
📺: NBCSN | 📲: https://t.co/r61CT6B6jq pic.twitter.com/5XihC3xPKM
5:30 p.m.: Looks like Busch's pit crew tried to work on his car during the stage break. His car's stuck in fourth gear.
During the stage break, the @JoeGibbsRacing crew goes to work to try to fix the transmission.
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 27, 2021
The No. 18 is stuck in fourth gear. pic.twitter.com/dMWoic5WD2
5:17 p.m.: Caution 3 (Lap 85). Byron is your Stage 2 winner. The full top 10:
- William Byron
- Denny Hamlin
- Brad Keselowski
- Christopher Bell
- Chase Elliott
- Martin Truex Jr.
- Kyle Busch
- Kyle Larson
- Aric Almirola
- Ross Chastain
5:14 p.m.: Oh, wait. There's the transmission issues again for Kyle Busch again.
Big trouble for the No. 18 on pit road! @KyleBusch who has been fighting transmission issues, can't get the car to fire on exit after pitting from the lead. pic.twitter.com/B3QjjIFaDM
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 27, 2021
6:12 p.m.: Now Wallace pits, with William Byron leading just six laps out from the conclusion of Stage 2.
5:07 p.m.: Bubba Wallace takes the lead with 11 laps remaining in Stage 2 after both Kyle Busch and Logano pit.
4:43 p.m.: Transmission issues? What transmission issues? Kyle Busch is in the lead at Pocono!
' @KyleBusch is 🎵 gonna fly like an eagle. 🎵 @JoeGibbsRacing // @PoconoRaceway pic.twitter.com/Zfi3qoAaDB
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) June 27, 2021
4:33 p.m.: Uh-oh.
. @KyleBusch reports he’s having an issue with his transmission popping out of fourth gear. Team is working on a plan to fix the problem. #TeamToyota
— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) June 27, 2021
4:31 p.m.: Looks like Larson has even more damage to his car.
What caused the damage?
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 27, 2021
Take a look. 👇 pic.twitter.com/U4ceIHEBQB
4:21 p.m.: Caution 2 (Lap 30). Truex wins the stage, his fourth such victory this season. Garrett Smithley also got a free pass. The full top 10:
- Martin Truex Jr.
- Brad Keselowski
- Aric Almirola
- Ryan Blaney
- Bubba Wallace
- Michael McDowell
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
- Tyler Reddick
- Daniel Suarez
- Joey Logano
4:07 p.m.: Bowman was driving 21st at the time NBC caught this audio:
🔊: "I have some pedal, not much." @NASCARonNBC listens in to @Alex_Bowman's radio. pic.twitter.com/mp2Mtod5ZP
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 27, 2021
4:06 p.m.: Martin Truex Jr. overtakes McDowell for the lead on Lap 14.
NEW LEADER: @MartinTruex_Jr completes the pass of @Mc_Driver to take over the top spot in Stage 1.
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 27, 2021
📺: NBCSN | 📲: https://t.co/r61CT6B6jq pic.twitter.com/NbdUxGnozS
3:59 p.m.: And there's the restart on Lap 7. Michael McDowell has moved into the lead.
3:52 p.m.: Caution 1 (Lap 2). Getting the caution out of the way early. Looks like Anthony Alfredo blew his front right tire, but he should be able to keep driving on it.
3:50 p.m.: And they're off!
3:35 p.m.: Flyover, complete.
Listen to that crowd roar. ❤️
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) June 27, 2021
The flyover is complete, and we're just about ready to go RACING AGAIN at @PoconoRaceway on NBCSN: https://t.co/mNYAo57t59 pic.twitter.com/Hjm4OAMbcr
3:33 p.m.: A total of eight cars will move to the rear for Sunday's race:
The following cars will drop to the rear after switching to backup cars: Nos. 5, 6, 7, 37, 38, 41, 42.
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 27, 2021
The No. 77 car will drop to the rear following a driver change. pic.twitter.com/mgxvwLsyDw
2:57 p.m.: Of note:
NEWS: @J_Allgaier will drive the No. 77 car in today's NASCAR Cup Series race at @PoconoRaceway, filling in for @Justin_Haley_. pic.twitter.com/zVX7gCZgDq
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 27, 2021
NASCAR start time today
- Start time: 3:30 p.m. ET
- TV channel: NBCSN (TSN3 in Canada)
- Live stream: NBCSports.com | fuboTV (7-day free trial)
The green flag on Sunday's race will drop at 3:49 p.m. ET.
Rain could affect that time. The National Weather Service forecast for Long Pond, Pa., site of Pocono Raceway, calls for a slight chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms with high temperatures between 85 and 90. The chance of precipitation is 20 percent.
NASCAR starting lineup at Pocono
NASCAR used the official results of Saturday's Pocono Organics 325 to set the starting lineup for Sunday's race at Pocono Raceway, the Explore the Pocono Mountains 350.
Pos. | Driver | Car No. | Team |
1 | Chris Buescher | 17 | Roush Fenway Racing |
2 | Michael McDowell | 34 | Front Row Motorsports |
3 | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
4 | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
5 | Aric Almirola | 10 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
6 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
7 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing |
8 | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse Racing Team |
9 | Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports |
10 | Tyler Reddick | 8 | Richard Childress Racing |
11 | Brad Keselowski | 2 | Team Penske |
12 | Kyle Larson* | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports |
13 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
14 | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske |
15 | Kurt Busch | 1 | Chip Ganassi Racing |
16 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske |
17 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
18 | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports |
19 | Kyle Busch | 18 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
20 | Alex Bowman | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports |
21 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing |
22 | Erik Jones | 43 | Richard Petty Motorsports |
23 | Ryan Preece | 37 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
24 | Chase Briscoe | 14 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
25 | Cody Ware | 51 | Petty Ware Racing |
26 | Anthony Alfredo | 38 | Front Row Motorsports |
27 | Justin Haley | 77 | Spire Motorsports |
28 | James Davison | 15 | Rick Ware Racing |
29 | Garrett Smithley | 53 | Rick Ware Racing |
30 | BJ McLeod | 78 | Live Fast Motorsports |
31 | Quin Houff | 00 | Starcom Racing |
32 | Matt DiBenedetto | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing |
33 | Ross Chastain | 42 | Chip Ganassi Racing |
34 | Josh Bilicki | 52 | Rick Ware Racing |
35 | Timmy Hill | 66 | Motorsports Business Management |
36 | Corey Lajoie | 7 | Spire Motorsports |
37 | Ryan Newman | 6 | Roush Fenway Racing |
38 | Cole Custer | 41 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
*Larson will start at the rear of the field and race in a backup car Sunday because of a crash in Saturday's race.