Hamlin has six wins at Pocono Raceway. He swept both races in 2006, and he won at the track in back-to-back years in 2009-10 and 2019-20. In 32 races there, he has 21 top-10 finishes.
Hamlin is setting himself up well in 2022 after earning the pole position for Sunday’s race. He ran just ahead of teammate and reigning race champion Kyle Busch.
Kurt Busch, who reached the final round of qualifying, crashed on the third turn and could not finish his lap, which means he will start 10th in a backup car Sunday.
The Sporting News has the results of Saturday’s qualifying and the starting order for Sunday’s M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 (3:22 p.m. ET green flag; USA, TSN5, PRN).
M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 qualifying results
Final group results
Who won the pole for the NASCAR race at Pocono?
Denny Hamlin will lead the Cup Series field to green on Sunday at Pocono.
This is the third time Hamlin will race from the pole position this season. He previously led the field at the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte and the Ally 400 in Nashville.
“We just made some big strides from practice, honestly,” Hamlin told NBC Sports. “That was the biggest thing. The team just did a phenomenal job getting this thing ready for qualifying, I made some adjustments, and it was all better.”
Starting lineup for Pocono race
Sunday’s lineup features five Toyotas in the top 10, including the top two positions with Hamlin and Kyle Busch. There are also three Joe Gibbs Racing teammates in the top 10, with Martin Truex Jr. joining Hamlin and Busch.
