{"id":248359,"date":"2026-06-15T06:39:47","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T06:39:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/15\/denny-hamlin-joins-darrell-waltrip-in-nascar-history-books-after-third-consecutive-cup-win-at-pocono\/"},"modified":"2026-06-15T06:39:47","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T06:39:47","slug":"denny-hamlin-joins-darrell-waltrip-in-nascar-history-books-after-third-consecutive-cup-win-at-pocono","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/15\/denny-hamlin-joins-darrell-waltrip-in-nascar-history-books-after-third-consecutive-cup-win-at-pocono\/","title":{"rendered":"Denny Hamlin joins Darrell Waltrip in NASCAR history books after third consecutive Cup win at Pocono\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-content\" data-postid=\"5179515\" data-slug-id=\"2795172\">\n<div class=\"vidazoo-player-container\">\n<span class=\"vidazoo-close-btn  hidden \"><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>With a masterclass performance at Pocono Raceway, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/player\/denny-hamlin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Denny Hamlin<\/a> cemented his name alongside one of NASCAR&#8217;s all-time icons. By taking the checkered flag from the front row, Hamlin became the first <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/go\/nascar-cup-series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">NASCAR Cup Series<\/a> driver since Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip in 1981 to win from the pole position three weeks in a row.<\/p>\n<p>Despite sweeping the weekend, Hamlin admitted that he left Saturday\u2019s practice session initially convinced that his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/team\/joe-gibbs-racing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Joe Gibbs Racing<\/a> team lacked raw speed. When asked about matching Waltrip&#8217;s iconic record, Hamlin said (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.asapsports.com\/show_conference.php?id=219615\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">via asapsports<\/a>):<\/p>\n<p><template id=\"template__newsletter-inline-banner-form-combo-widget\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<p><img id=\"subscribe-img\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\nThanks for the submission!\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;I mean, it&#8217;s fun. Truthfully when my balance was as far off as it was yesterday in practice, and we were still I think second fastest. Truthfully when I looked at the lap time, I thought we were in a different second bracket. Oh, shit, I&#8217;m half a second off of [Tyler]Reddick.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><template id=\"also-read-articles-template\"><\/p>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<p>Hamlin revealed that his dominant weekend almost caught him completely off guard due to a hilarious misread of the practice charts. He assumed Reddick&#8217;s No. 45 Toyota was faster than his. However, it was the other way round. He continued:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;When I was watching him in practice, Damn, the 45 is really fast. I call those guys practice Jesuses anyway. I thought that they had the car. I mean, they backed it up with a really strong performance after qualifying in the teens.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;So when I had that kind of speed and I knew I still had some room to gain with my car, that&#8217;s where I was like, Okay, I need to qualify well, that&#8217;s step one, and then I need to have a good execution race, and that will be step two.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<figure class=\"image\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sk-app-thumbnail\" alt=\"NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race - Pit Road Qualifying Entry\/Exit Practice - Source: Getty\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/06\/fb5fd-17814988569808-1920.jpg\"\/><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy-img\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1279\" data-img=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/06\/fb5fd-17814988569808-1920.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/06\/fb5fd-17814988569808-1920.jpg?w=190 190w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/06\/fb5fd-17814988569808-1920.jpg?w=720 720w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/06\/fb5fd-17814988569808-1920.jpg?w=640 640w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/06\/fb5fd-17814988569808-1920.jpg?w=1045 1045w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/06\/fb5fd-17814988569808-1920.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/06\/fb5fd-17814988569808-1920.jpg?w=1460 1460w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/06\/fb5fd-17814988569808-1920.jpg?w=1600 1600w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/06\/fb5fd-17814988569808-1920.jpg 1920w\" alt=\"NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race - Pit Road Qualifying Entry\/Exit Practice - Source: Getty\" data-img-low=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/06\/fb5fd-17814988569808-1920.jpg?w=640\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,&lt;svg%20xmlns=%22http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20viewBox=%220%200%201920%201279%22&gt;&lt;\/svg&gt;\"\/><figcaption>NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race &#8211; Pit Road Qualifying Entry\/Exit Practice &#8211; Source: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>By executing both steps perfectly, Denny Hamlin secured his 64th career victory and etched his name in NASCAR&#8217;s all-time win list at ninth.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2>Denny Hamlin prioritizes wins over points as he passes Kyle Busch in NASCAR&#8217;s all-time win list<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"image\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sk-app-thumbnail\" alt=\"Syndication: Pocono Record - Source: Imagn\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/06\/29199101-1781499472.jpeg\"\/><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy-img\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" data-img=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/06\/29199101-1781499472.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/06\/29199101-1781499472.jpeg?w=190 190w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/06\/29199101-1781499472.jpeg?w=720 720w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/06\/29199101-1781499472.jpeg?w=640 640w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/06\/29199101-1781499472.jpeg?w=1045 1045w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/06\/29199101-1781499472.jpeg?w=1200 1200w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/06\/29199101-1781499472.jpeg?w=1460 1460w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/06\/29199101-1781499472.jpeg?w=1600 1600w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/06\/29199101-1781499472.jpeg 1920w\" alt=\"Syndication: Pocono Record - Source: Imagn\" data-img-low=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2026\/06\/29199101-1781499472.jpeg?w=640\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,&lt;svg%20xmlns=%22http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20viewBox=%220%200%201920%201280%22&gt;&lt;\/svg&gt;\"\/><figcaption>Syndication: Pocono Record &#8211; Source: Imagn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Reflecting on the milestone, the driver of the Denny Hamlin opened up about a major shift in his competitive philosophy. In his media interaction after the Pocono win, the Toyota driver said:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;To me, it&#8217;s like wins, wins, wins. What is your win percentage? That&#8217;s what I really, really am trying to continue on a run. I mean, you always have aspirations to win 36 out of 36 races in a given season. You know it&#8217;s not going to happen. But we&#8217;ve had so many races where we&#8217;ve been dominant this year.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>While Denny Hamlin has collected four points-paying wins so far this year, he believes the No. 11 garage has possessed the raw speed to have a much higher win total.<\/p>\n<p>So far, apart from his four wins, Hamlin has accumulated nine top fives and 11 top-10 finishes in 16 starts.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-post-rating-widget\">\n<p><template id=\"post-rating-feedback-modal-template\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-feedback-box\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-content\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-data\">\n<p>Why did you not like this content?<\/p>\n<p><textarea id=\"dislike-feedback-text\" rows=\"4\" placeholder=\"Please type your feedback...\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<button class=\"close\">Cancel<\/button><br \/>\n<button class=\"submit\">Submit<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-widget-parent hidden\">\n<div class=\"rating-parent-container\">\n<div class=\"rating-content-holder\">\n<p>Was this article helpful?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\nThank You for feedback\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tag-cloud\">\n<div class=\"tags-text\">\n<div class=\"scrollable-content-holder  article-padding\">\n<p class=\"article-p  \">Quick Links<\/p>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerLeft\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Left \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" style=\"background: none;\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-left.svg\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button><\/p>\n<nav id=\"pnProductNav\" class=\"pn-ProductNav\">\n<\/nav>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerRight\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Right \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" style=\"background: none;\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-right.svg\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<p>More from Sportskeeda<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<span class=\"publisher-name\">Edited by Sashwat Deo<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/nascar\/news-denny-hamlin-joins-darrell-waltrip-nascar-history-books-third-consecutive-cup-win-pocono\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With a masterclass performance at Pocono Raceway, Denny Hamlin cemented his name alongside one of NASCAR&#8217;s all-time icons. By taking the checkered flag from the front row, Hamlin became the first NASCAR Cup Series driver since Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip in 1981 to win from the pole position three weeks in a row. Despite [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":248360,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6806],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-248359","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gossip"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248359","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=248359"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248359\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/248360"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=248359"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=248359"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=248359"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}