Speeding penalties derail winning bids of two NASCAR stars at Pocono

In a cruel twist of irony, the factor that kept Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson from being in winning contention at Pocono Raceway on Sunday was going too fast.

With 45 laps to go, it was Larson who led the field off pit road on what turned out to be the final round of pit stops. Larson's teammate, Chase Elliott, wound up third off pit road, setting the two Hendrick Motorsports drivers up in a prime position for the ensuing restart.

Unfortunately, both Larson and Elliott were nabbed for speeding on section seven of pit road, relegating both drives to the back of the pack. Luckily for the pair, they made it through the crash that ensued on the restart, but that served as small consolation for what could've been the front row on the final restart.

While both drivers clawed their way through the field on the final run of the race, a ninth-place effort for Elliott and a 13th-place finish for Larson don't show the true potential of either driver's day. Elliott looked to be a top-three car on pace alone and while Larson's No. 5 Camaro didn't seem particularly quick, gaining track position for the final restart would have at least put him in the top-five when the checkered flag flew.

The penalties did, however, make the sprint for the NASCAR Cup Series points lead that much more intriguing in the closing laps, as it was Elliott who left the "Tricky Triangle" holding a three-point lead over Larson with five races remaining in the regular-season.

The two drivers will once more do battle next Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with the Brickyard 400 as the backdrop for another chapter in an intriguing points battle.