Explore the Pocono Mountains 225
NASCAR Xfinity Series
VenuePocono Raceway
LocationLong Pond, Pennsylvania, United States
Corporate sponsorPocono Mountains Visitors Bureau[1]
First race2016
Distance225 miles (362.102 km)
Laps90
Stages 1/2: 20 each
Final stage: 50
Previous namesPocono Green 250 (2016–2017)
Pocono Green 250 Recycled by J.P. Mascaro & Sons (2018–2019)
Pocono Green 225 Recycled by J.P. Mascaro & Sons (2020–2021)
Most wins (driver)All winning drivers have 1
Most wins (team)Stewart-Haas Racing (2)
Most wins (manufacturer)Ford
Team Penske (4)

The Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 is a NASCAR Xfinity Series stock car race held at Pocono Raceway.

History

The 2018 Pocono Green 250
The race logo in 2020 and 2021

The inaugural Xfinity Series race at Pocono was held on June 4, 2016 with a scheduled distance of 100 laps/250 miles (402.336 kilometres).[2] However, the race was shortened after only 53 laps/132.5 miles (213.238 kilometres) because of persistent rain showers. The race marked the first time NASCAR's second-tier series visited and raced in the state of Pennsylvania since the closure of Nazareth Speedway in 2004.[3] The second running of the event was the first NASCAR-sanctioned event at Pocono to use the stage format, a format that was created prior to the 2017 NASCAR season for all three divisions for all race tracks; the 100 laps were split into three stages, with the first two being 25 laps each and the last consisting of the final 50.[4]

In 2020, the distance was reduced to 225 miles and 90 laps—with the first two stage lengths being reduced to 20 laps—as the race was held on Sunday in support of the NASCAR Cup Series' second round of a Pocono doubleheader.[5][6]

In 2022, the race was moved from June to July and the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau, which was previously the title sponsor of one of the track's Cup Series races, replaced J.P. Mascaro & Sons as the title sponsor of the race. Like they did with the Cup Series race name, the PMVB replaced their own name in the name of the race with "Explore the Pocono Mountains".[1]

Past winners

Year Date No. Driver Team Manufacturer Race Distance Race Time Average speed
(mph)		 Ref
Laps Miles
2016 June 4 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 53* 132.5 (213.238) 1:07:08 118.421 [7]
2017 June 10 22 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 100 250 (402.336) 1:50:38 135.583 [8]
2018 June 2 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 100 250 (402.336) 1:57:59 127.137 [9]
2019 June 1 00 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 103* 257.5 (414.406) 2:09:30 115.760 [10]
2020 June 28 98 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 91* 227.5 (366.125) 2:05:44 108.563 [11]
2021 June 27 22 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford 90 225 (362.101) 1:54:53 117.511 [12]
2022 July 23 9 Noah Gragson JR Motorsports Chevrolet 90 225 (362.101) 1:49:22 123.438 [13]
2023 July 22 21 Austin Hill Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 92* 230 (370.147) 1:52:16 122.922 [14]

Multiple winners (teams)

# Wins Team Years Won
2 Stewart-Haas Racing 2019, 2020
Team Penske 2017, 2021

Manufacturer wins

# Wins Make Years Won
4 United States Ford 2017, 2019-2021
3 United States Chevrolet 2016, 2022, 2023
1 Japan Toyota 2018

References

  1. 1 2 "Pocono Xfinity Race Named Explore the Pocono Mountains 225". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. June 23, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Pocono Raceway adds Xfinity race for '16". NASCAR. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. September 29, 2015. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Xfinity Series Coming To Pocono In 2016". Performance Racing Industry. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Stage lengths for 2019 NASCAR season". NASCAR. April 10, 2019. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Stage lengths for the 2020 NASCAR season". NASCAR. February 7, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  6. ↑ "2020 weekend to feature four NASCAR races in two days". Pocono Raceway. April 3, 2019. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  7. 1 2 "2016 Pocono Green 250". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  8. ↑ "2017 Pocono Green 250". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  9. ↑ "2018 Pocono Green 250". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  10. 1 2 "2019 Pocono Green 250". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  11. 1 2 "2020 Pocono Green 225". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  12. ↑ "2021 Pocono Green 225". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  13. ↑ "2022 Explore the Pocono Mountains 225". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
  14. ↑ "2023 Explore the Pocono Mountains 225". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
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