“It wasn’t weird on Sunday. Friday, I had bad FOMO (Fear of Missing Out),” Denny Hamlin said when asked about watching the NASCAR Mexico weekend from home. And who could blame him? While the Cup Series made history south of the border, Hamlin was tackling something a bit more personal. Diaper duty.
The three-time Daytona 500 champ missed the trip to stay home with his newborn son, Jameson Drew, a decision that earned him applause from fans and peers alike. But if anyone thought fatherhood might slow Hamlin down, Pocono just answered that loud and clear. Now, with the nursery in order and dad-mode temporarily off, Hamlin is back! And he’s wasting no time reminding everyone that this track, these turns, and this throne? It’s still his.
Denny Hamlin is back to business at Pocono
After a week off for family time, Denny Hamlin came back to the NASCAR Cup Series looking recharged, and maybe just a little dangerous. The veteran rolled into Pocono Raceway, a place that’s practically his playground, and delivered a masterclass in qualifying by clinching the pole position, ahead of Chris Buescher and Carson Hocevar.
Denny Hamlin secured the pole for Sunday’s Great American Getaway 400 with a lap of 172.599 mph. This is his 44th career Cup Series pole and his fifth at Pocono. “So, for a guy who took a week off, could you pick a better racetrack to come back to than Pocono, one of your favorites?” a reporter asked. Well, he is not wrong. Denny Hamlin loves the Tricky Triangle.
He holds the NASCAR track record with seven wins. Plus, Hamlin has seen another victory taken away from him in 2022 because of a disqualification. On his love for the track, the veteran responded, “I love all of them. Truthfully, every week we have a great shot to win. This team knows what I need out of the car.” This is the confidence the #11 team has been exuding all season. And the last time Hamlin raced in the Cup Series, he made it to Victory Lane at Michigan, so he’s well within his rights to be optimistic about his chances at Pocono, winning twice in his last 6 races here. However, the pole win was not that predictable.
There’s just something about @dennyhamlin and @PoconoRaceway. #BuschLightPole pic.twitter.com/UT40j4tC14
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 21, 2025
Hamlin went out 15th for qualifying, which means he didn’t have the best track conditions, and more than 15 drivers after him had a shot at beating his time. However, none of them could surpass the Pocono wizard. When asked if the pole was “surprising”, Hamlin said, “Yes and no, I mean we typically can step up, you know, from practice, you know, we make good adjustments, so I never really panicked too much.” Despite not even cracking the top 10 during the afternoon’s practice session, Denny Hamlin and his team clearly found what they needed when it counted.
But not everyone had such a smooth ride on Saturday as Denny Hamlin. While Hamlin soared, some of the sport’s biggest names found themselves sliding in the wrong direction. It just goes to show why Pocono earns its “Tricky Triangle” nickname. Three corners, three chances to get it wrong, and no margin for error when the field is this stacked.
The Tricky Triangle lives up to its name
If Denny Hamlin made Pocono look easy, the rest of the field reminded us just how unforgiving the place can be. Saturday’s qualifying session wasn’t kind to several big names, including the current series points leader, race winners, and even a few unlucky teams who didn’t get to run at all.
William Byron, who’s been red-hot all season long, saw his momentum skid. Literally! The Hendrick Motorsports star tagged the wall during his run and will now have to start a tough race from way back in 31st place. That’s not exactly ideal on a track where track position means everything, and clean air is king. Before a horrendous qualifying session, though, Byron put down the fastest single lap in Saturday’s practice session; a silver lining to a bad outing.
Last year’s Pocono winner, Ryan Blaney, didn’t fare much better. Despite coming in with solid expectations, the Team Penske driver could only manage 20th on the grid. Shane van Gisbergen, riding high after his big win last week in Mexico City, also came back down to earth. He’ll roll off 23rd, still searching for the oval consistency that’s eluded him in his rookie Cup season.
Then there’s the group that didn’t even get a lap in. Yes, that happened (a lot) at Pocono. Bubba Wallace’s 23XI Toyota rolled off pit road too late to make his scheduled run. Meanwhile, Josh Berry, Cody Ware, and Brennan Poole also failed to post times, setting them up for a rough Sunday.
For these drivers, the climb, factoring in the predicted weather conditions, just got a whole lot steeper. At a place like Pocono, recovery is possible. But it’s going to take some savvy strategy, patience, and maybe a bit of chaos to flip the script. The qualifying session has put up a fresh set of challenges and maybe even a few wake-up calls.
Who do you think will take the checkered flag at Pocono this Sunday? Let us know in the comments!
The post New Boy Father Denny Hamlin Announces Return to Pocono Throne With Pole Victory appeared first on EssentiallySports.
