Denny Hamlin has expressed confidence that Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) faces no weak tracks as the NASCAR playoffs approach, asserting that the team is now competitive at every circuit after overcoming early-season struggles. Hamlin currently leads the playoffs following his recent victory at the Enjoy Illinois 300 at Gateway, bolstered by consecutive pole positions that highlight his strong qualifying form.
Throughout the season, Hamlin identified road courses and super speedways as his less successful tracks, often finishing in the middle of the pack; the Chicago Street Race was a notable exception where he placed fourth. Conversely, short tracks and intermediate ovals have been Hamlin’s areas of strength, highlighted by back-to-back wins at Martinsville and Darlington.
Hamlin Reflects on JGR’s Consistent Strength Across Tracks
During a press conference at Bristol Motor Speedway, Hamlin responded to comments from Kyle Larson regarding JGR’s dominance on nearly every circuit. Hamlin acknowledged that the team struggled in a few early races but emphasized that the issues have been addressed.
“I feel as though that the Gibbs team in general doesn’t have a weak track, but we had weak performances earlier in the year. If you look at Las Vegas, I don’t think any of our cars were fast at that race. I can think of maybe one or two other races early in the season where we all kind of struggled and they were typically tracks where we’re were pretty strong.”
—Denny Hamlin, NASCAR Driver
“And so I think we’ve I think we’ve hemmed that up a little bit to where we’ve identified some of the philosophies that we did that weren’t exactly right. So now, yeah, certainly every weekend we go there and one of the Gibbs cars should be in the top three or so in speed and have a shot to win.”
—Denny Hamlin, NASCAR Driver
As Round 3 of the playoffs begins, Hamlin claimed sixth on the starting grid at Bristol, qualifying in the third row while sitting just behind Kyle Larson, the defending winner at the half-mile concrete track.
Uncertainty Surrounds New Tire Strategy at Bristol
Goodyear has introduced softer right-side tires for the 500-lap Bristol event, marking a return to a dual-tire compound setup last seen at Phoenix. This strategy aims to increase competitiveness by encouraging more tire wear, addressing Bristol’s notorious lack of tire degradation. Hamlin shared his perspective on the unknowns this creates for drivers and teams alike.
“So there’s been no tire test. We’re all coming in this pretty cold and so certainly feel like there’s an opportunity there to create comers and goers….So certainly I think there’s you know a higher level of anticipation because of that.”
—Denny Hamlin, NASCAR Driver
Bristol’s high banking typically limits tire wear, which was evident during the spring race when Kyle Larson dominated 411 of 500 laps. Hamlin finished second after starting fourth in that race, narrowly missing out on a third consecutive victory.
The Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway is scheduled for September 13 at 7:30 p.m. ET, with expectations high that JGR will continue its strong playoff performance on a track where the team has found renewed confidence and strategy.
