Denny Hamlin ‘Tried the Best’ Moves on Chase Briscoe at Pocono Cup Race originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
After missing last week’s NASCAR Cup Series race, Denny Hamlin made a strong return as he tried the best runs against fellow teammate Chase Briscoe during the Great American Getaway 400. But, he had to settle for the second-place finish due to an unlucky fuel strategy and a late-race restart at the Pocono Raceway.
Hamlin— the seven-time winner at Pocono— missed the Cup race at Mexico City as his fiancée Jordan Fish gave birth to their third child. After a week off, the 44-year-old made a strong return to NASCAR, starting the race from pole position with Joe Gibbs’ No. 11 Toyota Camry.
He started strong, leading the race’s first 32 laps. Despite winning Stage 1, he settled for a second-place finish behind teammate Chase Briscoe.
Piloting JGR’s No. 19, Briscoe didn’t completely refuel his tank during his last pit stop. This meant that he needed to save fuel for the finish line. And this meant an opportunity for the No. 11 pilot to take the lead.
“I tried the best I could to make runs at him,” said Hamlin. “I’d back off, cool everything down, try to make another run, and as soon as I’d get within one or two car lengths, it would just heat the tires up, and then I couldn’t make a move on him. Truthfully, I thought he’d run out of gas. But we just were the next best on our strategy, which I thought was the right strategy. We just got a little unlucky.”
Briscoe had the lead over RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher and Hamlin before the final round of green-flag pit stops began. On Lap 119, he made a short pit stop without refueling to a full tank, gaining a three-second advantage over his teammate. However, Hamlin made the pits one lap later at Lap 120, overtaking Buescher in the process.
Denny Hamlin continues to prove why he’s a force at Pocono! While the top step slipped away this time, consistency remains key — another podium finish adds to his stellar 2025 run. 📈🔥 pic.twitter.com/WTAOMQ2Twc
— Lucky Dog on Track – NASCAR (@LuckyDogOnTrack) June 23, 2025
On Lap 124, the officials brought out the caution flag as Shane van Gisbergen spun off Turn 1, bunching the field together again. After the green flag waved at the restart, Hamlin was overtaken by Briscoe at the Turn 1 entrance.
“I felt the restart certainly was not good,” Hamlin continued. “He didn’t get a push, but the person behind me didn’t. That was a real defining moment, not to have a chance to get around him because once you get off Turn 2 clear, you have to mess up to lose the lead.”
Despite failing from the pole at Pocono, Hamlin has been running sharp this season, with three Cup Series wins already. In his last 10 starts, the American has finished third or better in six races and led laps in nine of them.
“Every week, we’re battling for a win,” he added. “Things are going really, really good right now. I’m happy with the way our team is performing. Everything’s clicking.”
Currently sitting third in the regular-season standings, Denny Hamlin will next pilot JGR’s No. 11 at the EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta) on Saturday.
Related: Denny Hamlin Pauses Interview to Deliver Somber Post-Race Tribute at Pocono
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
