Denny Hamlin dismisses Chase Briscoe narrative – Sports News
Denny Hamlin is the winningest NASCAR Cup Series driver on the Pocono Speedway, however he could not fairly do enough final Sunday to edge previous his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe in 2025 The Great American Getaway 400.
Briscoe held on for a half-second victory regardless of seemingly working low on fuel the final 40 laps of the race. Hamlin, talking on his ‘Actions Detrimental’ podcast on Monday, could not consider it.
“I understand the backlash, people talking about a guy saving fuel, running 80 percent, shouldn’t be able to hold off cars that are right up on him pushing 100 percent. But this has been Pocono for 30 years, it’s been this way,” the veteran driver mentioned.
“Maybe not as bad, the only difference was there was an opportunity there — what’s different in Next Gen versus what it was previously, when I did get to Briscoe, there were a couple times early in the run and one time late in the run — when I dove off in there a couple times, what would have been different with the other generation car, was when I dove in there, instead of trying to avoid him and go to a different lane, I would have just shot right to his rear bumper. Gotten him loose, gotten up the racetrack and then gotten right beside him.”
“This car, obviously, he’s got the tremendous aerodynamic advantage where he’s got all the air coming down on his car pushing it down the racetrack. When I drive in and at the time he was running the middle lane, I was running the bottom getting a run, he comes down and as soon as he puts me in his full wake, my car just takes off. The track just isn’t wide enough
Briscoe’s win effectively guarantees him a spot in the playoffs. Hamlin was under no such pressure; with three wins already banked and a career CV amongst the 75 greatest drivers ever (sans a Cup Series crown), he’s doing just fine.
“Last couple weeks especially, I’ve just been like this huge weight on my shoulders, unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before,” Briscoe mentioned post-race.
“I feel like I honestly weigh a hundred pounds less already. Literally, when I was doing my contract with JGR, I remember them showing me the stat thing about how about out of 40 attempts for Playoffs, they have made it 38 times. The expectation is if you don’t make the playoffs, you’re not going to be in this car anymore.”
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Briscoe has reached the playoffs in two of the final three seasons, ascending as high as ninth in 2022. He was Martin Truex Jr’s alternative at Joe Gibbs Racing.
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