NASCAR Cup series rookies Josh Berry, Zane Smith prepare for their first race at Pocono

NASCAR will call the Poconos home this weekend as the season makes its way to Pocono Raceway for the Craftsman Truck Series, XFINITY Series and Cup Series races. The Tricky Triangle is one of the toughest tracks in racing, evident by the relatively short list of winners that gets even thinner once you get to multiple winners.

Veteran racer Denny Hamlin broke a tie with the great Jeff Gordon when he won his seventh race at Pocono during the 2023 season. He enters the weekend tied for the most wins this season (3) and a decent chance to add a historic eighth win after the Great American Getaway 400.

As exciting as it is to see the veterans compete, it's also noteworthy to see how newer drivers handle competing in the Cup Series at Pocono for the first time.

Three drivers will race in a Cup car for the first time on Sunday afternoon — rookies Josh Berry, Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar. All of them have experience in the Truck Series or XFINITY Series at Pocono, but it'll be a different challenge for them this weekend.

"I'm excited for it. I always enjoy going to Pocono," said Smith, who'll also be racing in the truck series. "I'm curious to see how the Cup car does here; the tunnel turn is obviously something I think most people are curious about. I'm excited to see how the weekend will go."

Berry was also positive about racing at Pocono, saying, "I've really enjoyed racing here during the Xfinity series. It's been a good track for me. I think that, you know, I'm excited to go there and experience it in the Cup car. It's just a fun place to race."

Both Smith and Berry have experiences at the track competing in non-Cup Series races, but a major difference is the vehicle itself that they'll have to manage. Compared to an Xfinity car, a Cup car has larger tires, is heavier and creates more downforce, the latter of which makes the car faster.

Accounting for a difference in power can be a critical factor when it comes to one of the more difficult tracks in the country.

"They call it the 'Tricky Triangle' for a reason," Berry said about the track. "It's definitely a unique layout and each corner is a little bit different. I think the experience of having laps and races there helps boost your confidence when you have to adapt to a Cup car."

The cars themselves aren't the only difference when it comes to the races. The Xfinity and Truck Series fields are usually less experienced than those in the Cup Series. Some Cup drivers do compete in multiple races like Smith, but NASCAR's best drivers compete in the flagship race on Sunday.

"The best way to compare it is the Truck and Xfinity Series are similar to college football, whereas the Cup Series would be the NFL," Smith said. "None of the races are easy by any means. The Cup field just has a lot more experience and depth top to bottom."

With the Great American Getaway 400 only days away, Smith and Berry are both preparing as well as they can, whether that means studying film or practicing on the simulator. For Berry, preparation also includes listening to advice from his team at Stewart-Haas Racing.

"A lot of those guys have raced there a time or two," Berry said. "It helps to bounce things off of them. We spent time reviewing the restarts and looking at different moves and how to take advantage. Qualifying is going to be really important, and staying up front is important to having a good day Sunday."

The Cup Series race will take place on Sunday, July 14, at 2:30 p.m. ET. Fans can tune in to watch it on USA or listen on SiriusXM.

This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: NASCAR rookies prep for first Cup event at Pocono Raceway