The 2025 Explore the Pocono Mountains 250 was the 16th stock car race of the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the 10th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, a permanent triangular-shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 100 laps to complete.

Connor Zilisch, driving for JR Motorsports, would make a late race pass on Jesse Love for the lead with four laps to go to earn his third career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, his second of the season, and his first win on an oval track. To fill out the podium, Christian Eckes, driving for Kaulig Racing, would finish in 3rd, respectively.

This marked the first win for Dale Earnhardt Jr. as a crew chief, filling in as a substitute for Mardy Lindley, who was serving a one-race suspension for improperly secured lugnuts found in post-race inspection at Nashville Superspeedway. Earnhardt would join a select group of history to win as both a driver and crew chief.

Report Background

Pocono Raceway is a oval speedway located in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since the early 1970s. Nicknamed "The Tricky Triangle", the speedway has three distinct corners and is known for high speeds along its lengthy straightaways.

From 1982 to 2019, the circuit had two race weekends. In 2020, the circuit was reduced to one race meeting of two races. The first race was moved to World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis starting in 2022.

Entry list

(R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.

#DriverTeamMake00Sheldon CreedHaas Factory TeamFord1Carson Kvapil (R)JR MotorsportsChevrolet2Jesse LoveRichard Childress RacingChevrolet4Parker RetzlaffAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet5Kris WrightOur MotorsportsChevrolet07Patrick Emerling (i)SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet8Sammy SmithJR MotorsportsChevrolet10Daniel Dye (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet11Josh WilliamsKaulig RacingChevrolet14Garrett SmithleySS-Green Light RacingChevrolet16Christian Eckes (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet17Chase Elliott (i)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet18William Sawalich (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota19Justin BonsignoreJoe Gibbs RacingToyota20Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota21Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet25Harrison BurtonAM RacingFord26Dean Thompson (R)Sam Hunt RacingToyota27Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet28Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord31Blaine PerkinsJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet35Carson WareJoey Gase MotorsportsFord39Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord41Sam MayerHaas Factory TeamFord42Anthony AlfredoYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet44Brennan PooleAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet45Mason MasseyAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet48Nick Sanchez (R)Big Machine RacingChevrolet51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet53Logan BeardenJoey Gase MotorsportsChevrolet54Taylor Gray (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota70Leland HoneymanCope Family RacingChevrolet71Ryan EllisDGM RacingChevrolet74Dawson CramMike Harmon RacingChevrolet88Connor Zilisch (R)JR MotorsportsChevrolet91Josh BilickiDGM RacingChevrolet99Matt DiBenedettoViking MotorsportsChevroletOfficial entry list

Practice For practice, drivers were separated into two groups, A and B. Both sessions were 25 minutes long, and was held on Saturday, June 21, at 10:00 AM EST. Justin Allgaier, driving for JR Motorsports, would set the fastest time between both groups, with a lap of 55.138, and a speed of 163.227 mph (262.688 km/h). Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed17Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet55.138163.227220Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota55.190163.073388Connor Zilisch (R)JR MotorsportsChevrolet55.194163.061Full practice results

Qualifying Qualifying was held on Saturday, June 21, at 11:05 AM EST. Standard intermediate track qualifying was in effect, although at Pocono, a hybrid road course qualifying rule was used. The timing line was set in the North Straight, exiting Turn 2, where cars exited pit road, drove two-thirds of a lap, then took the green flag at the timing line exiting Turn 2, and completing their lap there the next time by. Teams then immediately pitted the car, meaning only two laps were run. In addition, up to three cars could be at the track at one time, separated by considerable intervals (about 20 seconds) to ensure drafting was prohibited.

Chase Elliott, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would score the pole for the race, with a lap of 54.209, and a speed of .

No drivers would fail to qualify.

Qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed117Chase Elliott (i)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet54.209166.024220Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota54.370165.532348Nick Sanchez (R)Big Machine RacingChevrolet54.414165.399418William Sawalich (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota54.430165.350539Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord54.482165.192641Sam MayerHaas Factory TeamFord54.525165.062754Taylor Gray (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota54.531165.04487Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet54.584164.883988Connor Zilisch (R)JR MotorsportsChevrolet54.631164.742102Jesse LoveRichard Childress RacingChevrolet54.638164.7211199Matt DiBenedettoViking MotorsportsChevrolet54.728164.4501200Sheldon CreedHaas Factory TeamFord54.746164.396138Sammy SmithJR MotorsportsChevrolet54.774164.3121421Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet54.865164.0391516Christian Eckes (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet55.072163.4221625Harrison BurtonAM RacingFord55.081163.3961719Justin BonsignoreJoe Gibbs RacingToyota55.083163.3901810Daniel Dye (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet55.112163.3041944Brennan PooleAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet55.120163.2802027Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet55.125163.2652151Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet55.155163.177221Carson Kvapil (R)JR MotorsportsChevrolet55.231162.952234Parker RetzlaffAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet55.428162.3732471Ryan EllisDGM RacingChevrolet55.461162.2762526Dean Thompson (R)Sam Hunt RacingToyota55.482162.2152611Josh WilliamsKaulig RacingChevrolet55.589161.9032731Blaine PerkinsJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet55.647161.7342842Anthony AlfredoYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet55.676161.6502945Mason MasseyAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet55.862161.111305Kris WrightOur MotorsportsChevrolet56.045160.5853191Josh BilickiDGM RacingChevrolet56.151160.2823214Garrett SmithleySS-Green Light RacingChevrolet56.625158.940Qualified by owner's points3335Carson WareJoey Gase MotorsportsFord57.203157.3343474Dawson CramMike Harmon RacingChevrolet57.541156.4103507Patrick Emerling (i)SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet1:00.945147.6743670Leland HoneymanCope Family RacingChevrolet1:40.49689.5563728Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord––3853Logan BeardenJoey Gase MotorsportsChevrolet––Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup

Race results Stage 1 Laps: 25 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts120Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota10248Nick Sanchez (R)Big Machine RacingChevrolet9388Connor Zilisch (R)JR MotorsportsChevrolet8439Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord7516Christian Eckes (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet668Sammy SmithJR MotorsportsChevrolet5718William Sawalich (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota4800Sheldon CreedHaas Factory TeamFord3951Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet21021Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1

Stage 2 Laps: 25 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts188Connor Zilisch (R)JR MotorsportsChevrolet10254Taylor Gray (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota9348Nick Sanchez (R)Big Machine RacingChevrolet842Jesse LoveRichard Childress RacingChevrolet7516Christian Eckes (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet6639Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord577Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet488Sammy SmithJR MotorsportsChevrolet391Carson Kvapil (R)JR MotorsportsChevrolet21027Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1

Stage 3 Laps: 50 FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts1988Connor Zilisch (R)JR MotorsportsChevrolet10034Running582102Jesse LoveRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1008Running4231516Christian Eckes (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet1000Running464117Chase Elliott (i)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet10038Running05539Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord1000Running446221Carson Kvapil (R)JR MotorsportsChevrolet1000Running337641Sam MayerHaas Factory TeamFord1001Running308138Sammy SmithJR MotorsportsChevrolet1000Running379754Taylor Gray (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota1000Running371087Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet10010Running31112027Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1000Running27122151Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet1000Running27132842Anthony AlfredoYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet1000Running24141625Harrison BurtonAM RacingFord1003Running23152611Josh WilliamsKaulig RacingChevrolet1000Running22161944Brennan PooleAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet1000Running21172526Dean Thompson (R)Sam Hunt RacingToyota1000Running2018220Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1006Running29191199Matt DiBenedettoViking MotorsportsChevrolet1000Running18202945Mason MasseyAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet1000Running1721418William Sawalich (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota1000Running2022234Parker RetzlaffAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet1000Running15233191Josh BilickiDGM RacingChevrolet1000Running14243670Leland HoneymanCope Family RacingChevrolet1000Running13253728Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord1000Running12263214Garrett SmithleySS-Green Light RacingChevrolet1000Running11273853Logan BeardenJoey Gase MotorsportsChevrolet1000Running1028348Nick Sanchez (R)Big Machine RacingChevrolet1000Running26292731Blaine PerkinsJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1000Running8303507Patrick Emerling (i)SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet1000Running0311810Daniel Dye (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet1000Running6322471Ryan EllisDGM RacingChevrolet1000Running5333474Dawson CramMike Harmon RacingChevrolet990Running4343335Carson WareJoey Gase MotorsportsFord990Running3351421Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet960Running3361200Sheldon CreedHaas Factory TeamFord880Accident437305Kris WrightOur MotorsportsChevrolet690Suspension1381719Justin BonsignoreJoe Gibbs RacingToyota70Engine1Official race results

Standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Justin Allgaier 618 2 Austin Hill 536 (–82) 3 Sam Mayer 518 (–100) 4 Jesse Love 502 (–116) 5 Connor Zilisch 488 (–130) 1 6 Carson Kvapil 442 (–176) 1 7 Brandon Jones 433 (–185) 1 8 Jeb Burton 424 (–194) 3 9 Sheldon Creed 420 (–198) 3 10 Ryan Sieg 418 (–200) 1 11 Sammy Smith 415 (–203) 12 Taylor Gray 411 (–207)Official driver's standings

Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos Manufacturer Points 1 Chevrolet 625 2 Toyota 528 (–97) 3 Ford 505 (–120) Note: Only the first 12 positions are included for the driver standings.

References