NASCAR moves Pocono Cup start up two hours for weather

NASCAR moved Sunday’s Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway up two hours, shifting the Great American Getaway 400 presented by VISITPA to 1 p.m. ET from its original afternoon start because forecasts called for rain, thunderstorms and possible lightning in the Long Pond, Pennsylvania area. The schedule change was intended to reduce the risk of a delay, shortened race or postponement, and Pocono Raceway confirmed the move after it was first reported by FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass.

The 400-mile, 160-lap race is the 16th points-paying event of the 2026 Cup Series season and could carry playoff implications. NASCAR coordinated the adjustment with Prime Video, which is carrying the race and can accommodate start-time changes more easily than traditional cable broadcasts. Practice, qualifying and Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts race were still scheduled to go on as planned.

Pocono has a long history of weather interruptions during its summer Cup race, including five rain-shortened events and three full postponements. The earlier start also gives teams more time to travel to San Diego for next weekend’s race at Naval Base Coronado. Chase Briscoe entered as the defending winner of the 16th round of the 2026 NASCAR Cup season, and Denny Hamlin came in after winning the previous two races and holding a record seven Cup victories at Pocono.