Saturday’s Qualifying Order Takes Shape at Pocono Raceway
NASCAR will hold its Saturday qualifying session at Pocono Raceway, setting the starting grids for both the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and the Cup Series. The event is scheduled for the weekend’s second day, with teams eager to lock in their positions before the Sunday races.
The order is not decided by a simple lap time but by a metric score that weighs recent race results, driver performance and other factors. Organizers have noted that weather, which has disrupted previous qualifying attempts at the track, is not expected to play a role this weekend, allowing the metric to stand as the sole determinant.
In the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Patrick Emerling currently holds the top spot with a metric score of 38.600, followed closely by Natalie Decker and Carson Ware. The Cup Series leaderboard features Casey Mears at the summit with a score of 41.600, ahead of Daniel Dye and Connor Zilisch, who round out the top three.
These rankings reflect a blend of consistency and momentum heading into the FireKeepers Casino 400. As the weekend progresses, the positions earned on Saturday will influence pit strategy and fuel management during the main events, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the Pennsylvania weekend.