If you watch NASCAR long enough, things will always come full circle.
That’s the case for both Martin Truex Jr. and Ty Gibbs, who both have the chance to earn a special victory on Sunday at Pocono.
Gibbs will start on the pole for Sunday’s 400 mile race and has the chance to earn his first NASCAR Cup Series victory. The irony? It was Pocono where Gibbs made his first Cup Series start in 2022, filling in for a concussed Kurt Busch. Gibbs finished 16th in his Cup Series debut, but now, in his third trip to the “Tricky Triangle,” he has a chance to make a statement. At just 21 years old, Gibbs could establish himself as the top young talent in the sport with a victory at one of NASCAR’s toughest venues.
On the opposite end of the age ladder is Truex Jr., who at 44, is looking for his first win since New Hampshire in June, 2023.
It was Pocono which served as the catalyst for Truex Jr.’s Hall of Fame career. With just two Cup Series wins to his name entering 2015, Truex got his only victory of the season at Pocono. The victory spurred a season in which Truex and the underdog No. 78 team made the Championship Four.
Nine years later — with the start-finish line at Pocono Raceway bearing his name — Truex has a chance to earn what could be his final NASCAR victory at one of his home tracks. Truex will start third on Sunday and has finishes of seventh and third in the two Pocono races with the Next Gen car.
While only one driver can win on Sunday, both Gibbs and Truex should have a little extra motivation at a track that means so much more for both men.
The Great American Getaway 400 will go green shortly after 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, with coverage provided on USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.