Especially with how strong Amazon Prime’s coverage of the NASCAR Cup Series has been, it’s never been a better time to watch stock car racing from afar. But there’s no feeling quite like being at the track.
Television, radio or any other medium just can’t compare to watching racing in person. Whether it’s the roar of the engines or the crowd, the sights, sounds and smells or anything in-between, the at-track experience is unmatched
It truly does make for a “Great American Getaway,” the name of Pocono Raceway’s Cup Series race once again in 2025.
This weekend serves as In-Between Media’s (IBT) getaway to the track for a third consecutive year. The track which we grew up closest to is now a home for live coverage as well. As the weekend goes on, we’ll be on top of it all for you. But we all know our IBT Betting Model, powered by ifantasyrace.com, is a great place to start.
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Ty Gibbs Inches Closer | 2025 The Great American Getaway 400 Picks
Building Our Betting Model
Pocono Raceway is the lone triangular track on the circuit, and it is tricky indeed to compare to others. The 2.5-mile asphalt track has each of its three turns inspired by different tracks.
Indianapolis (turn two’s inspiration) and Michigan can draw similarities being that they are other large and flat courses. The Brickyard is our main comparison in this week’s model.
- Pocono Next-Gen Average Finish*
- Pocono Next-Gen Total Speed Rankings
- 2024 Pocono Average Position & Driver Rating
- 2024 Indianapolis Average & Finish Position
- 2025 Conventional Tracks Total Speed Rankings
- Xfinity & Truck Series @ Pocono Bonus
*Note: Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch were disqualified post-race in 2022. Our projections factor in their original finishing positions rather than the disqualifications.
Pocono has been one of those tracks where the strong drivers stay strong, as shown by the near-30% nose dive in our top 10. Each of the Next-Gen winners here are featured in the top five, including last summer’s victor Ryan Blaney.
Being that there are plenty of high-confidence top picks, and in the spirit of our weekend-long bonus coverage from the track, I’ll give you a bonus driver to watch this week as well.
2025 The Great American Getaway 400 Picks & Predictions
Denny Hamlin (+450)
Even after missing out on the Mexico City race, Denny Hamlin is still your favorite on the books heading to Pocono. I’d probably even bet him at a lower number than this with how strong he’s been at “The Tricky Triangle.”
The No. 11 won here in 2022 (but was disqualified) and 2023. He also finished P2 last year. Hamlin has had the best Ifantasyrace.com total speed ranking at Pocono in the Next-Gen era and has been strong here regardless of car generation.
The Virginia native has won seven times and led 858 laps at Pocono, leading laps in 11 of the last 12 races here. Hamlin has been on a strong run of late overall, winning three of the last nine races, earning T3s in two others and running into issues with top tier cars in three of the other four.
Tyler Reddick (+1000)
Last week didn’t go well for Tyler Reddick based on his road course expectations. His Pocono expectations are even higher than that.
Reddick has the best Next-Gen average finish (3.3) at Pocono, finishing no worse than P6 and earning two runner-ups. The No. 45 is third on the total speed ranking charts here.
The Pennsylvania track is a sight for sore eyes for Reddick, who’s had just one T10 finish in the last eight races coming in.
Ty Gibbs (+2000)
Pocono is a notable track for Ty Gibbs, just as his last two races have been as well. Gibbs returns to the track where he made his Cup Series debut a week after perhaps having the only car good enough to beat Shane van Gisbergen (SVG) at Mexico City. That strong run came just after narrowly missing out on a fuel-mileage win at Michigan, placing P3.
The North Carolina native finished P5 here in 2023 and won the pole in 2024 before blowing an engine. Gibbs ranked P5 and P6 in those races’ total speed rankings.
The No. 54 just missed out on our top-10 as well, placing P11 in our model. But, especially with momentum on their side, this team can continue to draw closer to Gibbs’ first win.
Bubba Wallace (+2500)
I’m sure by now you’re noticing a theme in my selections; I’m on-board the Toyota train this week. So is our projections, with three of the top four and five of the top 11 drivers from their camp.
Slotting in seventh is Bubba Wallace, who continues to show his well-rounded skills by finishing P12 in Mexico City. That comes after finishes of P4 and P6 on the last two ovals for the No. 23.
The Alabama native has finished top-11 in each of the Pocono Next-Gen races, good for the fifth-best average finish (9.7) in the series during that span. As Wallace inches close to 100 races without a win, he seems to be inching closer to putting an end to that streak.
Thanks for reading my 2025 The Great American Getaway 400 picks & predictions. Be sure to catch us live every Thursday night at 8:30 p.m. EST on The Backroad!
Also, follow me on Twitter/X @ehicks39 for more NASCAR takes and betting advice.
*Photo Credit: Jim Dedmon – USA Today Sports*
