The NASCAR Cup Series is back in the United States after its first-ever trip to Mexico for this past Sunday afternoon's Viva Mexico 250 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, the track best known for hosting Formula 1's annual Mexico City Grand Prix.
This Sunday's race is scheduled to take place at Pocono Raceway. Like there were in Mexico, there are 37 drivers on the entry list for this 160-lap race around the three-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) "Tricky Triangle" in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.
But a total of three changes have been made to the driver lineup since last weekend's race.
3 driver lineup changes confirmed for Pocono
First and foremost, Denny Hamlin is set to be back in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota after missing the Mexico race for the birth of his third child. Ryan Truex made his first Cup Series start since September 2014 in that race, which ended a 406-race streak for Hamlin that had dated back to March 2014.
Hamlin was granted a playoff waiver, meaning he is set to retain the playoff eligibility he earned with his three wins earlier this year. Additionally, he is allowed to retain the 18 playoff points he has earned so far this year with his three race wins and three stage wins.
The other two changes relate to non-chartered (open) cars.
In Mexico, Live Fast Motorsports ran the No. 78 Chevrolet for the fifth time this year, and the second time with Katherine Legge behind the wheel. The No. 78 car was the only open car that made the international trip, but it will not compete at Pocono.
Instead, NY Racing Team are set to field the No. 44 Chevrolet for the eighth time this year and first time since J.J. Yeley drove it at Nashville Superspeedway three weeks ago. For the first time this year, Brennan Poole is set to drive for the team, marking his first Cup Series start since 2023 when he drove part-time for Rick Ware Racing.
Tune in to Amazon Prime Video at 2:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, June 22 for the live broadcast of the Great American Getaway 400 presented by VISITPA from Pocono Raceway. This race is set to wrap up Prime's first-ever five-race portion of a NASCAR Cup Series broadcast schedule.