Pocono Raceway returns to the spotlight after a landmark weekend in Mexico City. In NASCAR’s first international race in over a decade, Daniel Suárez’s dramatic Xfinity victory and Shane van Gisbergen’s gutsy Cup win, despite battling illness, reminded fans of NASCAR’s global reach. But back on home soil at the 2.5-mile Tricky Triangle, the weekend carries its own weight of memories.

Kurt Busch, a 2004 NASCAR Cup champion and 2026 Hall of Fame inductee, stands poised to confront Pocono once more. Many drivers have faced moments when past challenges demand reckoning. Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s emotional visit to Daytona in 2001 after the Intimidator passed, as covered in the Earnhardt docuseries, exemplifies this journey. Now, it’s Kurt Busch’s turn to face his past.

Three years after a career-altering crash at Pocono, he returns to rewrite how he remembers this track. This weekend’s role allows him to forge new memories at Pocono, as this weekend’s schedule spotlights Busch’s duties amid a full slate. Truck Series on Friday, Xfinity on Saturday, and the Great American Getaway 400 on Sunday.

Kurt Busch returns as a hero

In 2022 at Pocono, during a practice session, 23XI Racing driver Kurt Busch suffered a violent crash when his car spun out, leading to a horrific impact. The right bumper of Busch’s car hit the wall on the nose before he spun and tagged the wall again. The initial impact was 30Gs, and Busch was diagnosed with a concussion, one that ended his race weekend and eventually, his career as we know it.

Analysts pointed to the Next Gen car’s handling characteristics combined with Pocono’s abrupt corner geometry as factors, though Busch himself acknowledged the unpredictable nature of racing incidents. That incident occurred as NASCAR’s Next Gen car was newly introduced, prompting questions about whether the car’s characteristics or the triangular layout contributed to the severity.

Well, it’s been three years since this harrowing incident, and now, fresh off his 2026 Hall of Fame selection, Kurt Busch is ready to return to Pocono in higher spirits. The Cup Series icon has been named Grand Marshal for the Great American Getaway 400 this weekend! “I’m honored to be your Grand Marshal. It’s going to be a fun weekend. Check out @thebeastunleashed infield block party, it will be 🔥🔥🔥,” Busch posted on X. Busch gets another chance to address Pocono in a different role, transforming a site of adversity into one of celebration.

I’m honored to be your Grand Marshal. It’s going to be a fun weekend. Check out @thebeastunleashed infield block party, it will be 🔥 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/4EharUiHLS

— Kurt Busch (@KurtBusch) June 20, 2025

Pocono Raceway President Ben May remarked, “We’re honored to celebrate Kurt’s Hall-of-Fame career with our fans during The Great American Getaway 400 presented by VISITPA.COM race weekend,” highlighting the industry’s recognition of Busch’s impact and his three Pocono victories (2005, 2007, 2016), two poles (2005, 2011), and 21 top-10s in 41 starts at the Tricky Triangle.

His track record underscores that Pocono has been fertile ground for Busch’s successes, making the 2022 crash all the more jarring. Leaving that chapter behind on his return in this new role at Pocono signals a form of closure, allowing him to reshape his narrative at the venue where triumph and misfortune coexisted.

His Hall of Fame induction and Grand Marshal role give fans a lens to appreciate both his achievements, 34 Cup wins, a Daytona 500 victory, a championship, and his recovery arc. NASCAR officials emphasized celebrating Busch’s legacy rather than dwelling on the crash. The track’s tribute (“TY KURT” painted at the start/finish line) and community events during race weekend frame Pocono not just as a site of past trials but as a place of honor and reconnection for Busch and supporters alike.

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Pocono race: Schedule, in-season challenge seedings, and key storylines

Practice and qualifying set the stage for Sunday’s Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway, with on-track sessions on Saturday afternoon (practice beginning around 12:30 p.m. ET and qualifying at approximately 1:45 p.m. ET) determining setups and the starting grid for the 160-lap, 400-mile main event. On race day, the garage opens around 11 a.m. ET, driver introductions occur shortly before 2 p.m., and the engines are fired up around 2:09 p.m. ET, with the green flag slated for about 2:20 p.m. ET.

Coverage begins at 1 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime Video, their last race of the 5-race schedule, with live audio provided by Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Forecasts call for partly sunny skies with highs near 86°F and light winds, meaning teams must monitor track temperatures under mixed sun-and-cloud conditions to fine-tune tire and aerodynamic strategies.

Beyond the traditional weekend rhythm, Sunday’s race carries extra significance as the final event before the inaugural In-Season Challenge begins. Seedings for the 32-driver tournament field will be finalized, and some drivers are more amped up than others. Denny Hamlin holds the top seed thanks to his recent win at Michigan International Speedway.

With Shane van Gisbergen’s Mexico City victory unable to count toward seeding due to his non-qualification for the Challenge field, Chris Buescher and Christopher Bell occupy the next positions. A driver who wins at Pocono this weekend would vault into the second seed for the In-Season Tournament set to commence June 28 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Hamlin, returning after missing the Mexico weekend following the birth of his son, arrives at Pocono, where he boasts a record seven Cup victories, more than any other driver at this track, and is the only repeat winner in the last eight Pocono races. As the defending runner-up from last year’s Pocono event, his performance will again be closely watched, both for its impact on seeding and for further cementing his standing at the Tricky Triangle.

For teams and fans alike, Pocono’s unique three-turn configuration and evolving track conditions under summer skies will test setup choices and strategic calls, all against the backdrop of meaningful In-Season Challenge implications and Hamlin’s bid to reinforce his Pocono mastery. Who do you think will triumph as we honor Kurt Busch this weekend? Let us know in the comments!