Hamlin returns to action with runner-up effort: ‘Everything’s clicking’

LONG POND, Pa. -- Denny Hamlin returned to his best track on the NASCAR Cup Series calendar after one week off and netted a runner-up finish at Pocono Raceway. After sitting out last week's race in Mexico City as he and fiancée Jordan Fish welcomed the birth of their third child, Hamlin led 32 laps, won Stage 1 and was alongside teammate Chase Briscoe on the final restart. Ultimately, despite Briscoe's late fuel savings and Hamlin's heated pursuit, the No. 11 JGR driver was left to settle for a second-place finish. RELATED: Official results | At-track photos: Pocono

Briscoe didn't get as much fuel into his tank during his last pit stop and needed to conserve to the checkered flag. Hamlin believed he had the advantage but could not get alongside Briscoe to truly establish position for what would have been the winning pass.

"I tried the best I could to make runs at him," said Hamlin, a seven-time winner at Pocono. "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 was leading Chris Buescher and Hamlin before the final round of green-flag pit stops began. Briscoe hit pit road at Lap 119 while Hamlin and crew chief Chris Gayle hit pit road one lap later with 40 laps remaining. Briscoe had a shorter pit stop -- largely because Briscoe left the box earlier than his crew anticipated -- and escaped with a three-second advantage over Hamlin, who leaped Buescher in the cycle. A caution came out at Lap 124, which bunched the field together again. But Briscoe prevailed when the green flag waved, clearing Hamlin for the lead by the time they reached Turn 1.

"I felt the restart certainly was not good," Hamlin said. "He didn't get a push, but then the person behind me didn't push. That was a real defining moment to not have a chance to get around him because once you get off Turn 2 clear, you have to really mess up to lose the lead."

A three-time winner already this season, Hamlin has been a dominant force in 2025. The No. 11 Toyota has finished third or better in six of Hamlin's last 10 starts, leading laps in nine of those 10 as well. Hamlin exits Pocono third in the regular-season standings, only trailing the Hendrick Motorsports duo of William Byron and Kyle Larson.

"Every week, we're battling for a win," Hamlin said. "Things are going really, really good right now. I'm happy with the way our team's performing. Everything's clicking."

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to action Saturday night at EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta), marking the first race of the inaugural In-Season Challenge at 7 p.m. ET on TNT Sports/truTV, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.