Denny Hamlin’s attempt to secure victory at Michigan nearly fell apart during a critical pit stop on Sunday, threatening his third NASCAR Cup Series win of the 2025 season. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver admitted on Monday’s Actions Detrimentalpodcast that he mistakenly accelerated before receiving the full signal to leave the pit box, which could have resulted in a penalty and lost track position. However, the lightning-fast response of tire carrier Dylan Dowell prevented disaster by catching the fuel can just in time, preserving Hamlin’s lead.
During the final pit stop, Hamlin ignored three standard departure signals: radio instructions from crew chief Chris Gabehart, a visual cue from fueler Kenneth Purcell, and Dowell’s hand sign. This premature launch put the team at risk of an automatic drive-through penalty for dragging the fuel can. Hamlin reflected on the situation, saying,
“I’ve got three points of reference. I didn’t listen to none of them,”
acknowledging how close the team came to a significant setback. He praised Dowell’s intervention, calling it “such a great defensive move.”
Hamlin explained that most pit crew members finish their tasks and move away from the car quickly, but Dowell took a different approach.
“There’s so many of these pit crew guys, sometimes they finish their job and they’ll just kind of turn around and head towards the wall,”
Hamlin said, highlighting Dowell’s focused positioning on the left front fender to monitor the pit stop.
Image of: Denny Hamlin
“He’s on the left front fender watching things as they go to like prepare me, Hey, if I got to stop ’cause I got a loose wheel or something like he’s there and when he sees the car and the can coming, like, he’s like the guy that’s like the safeguard to catch all things.”
Hamlin further described the moment he realized his mistake:
“I just, I waited for a beat, I’m looking in my mirror. I’m starting to see these guys leaving Pit Road. I’m like, I don’t want to go back to 10th right now. Waiting on fuel, and surely we’ll just put in that extra gas during the green flag stop. Screw it. Right. And so, I went way too early, and then luckily, Dylan [Dowell] grabbed the can as it’s coming by.”
The split-second decision-making on Pit Road is crucial, and Hamlin recognized the trade-off between time and track position.
“If you stay in the pit box for like an extra half a second, how many cars is that? How many rows is that on a restart, right?”
he noted, explaining why he tried to beat other cars leaving while Purcell was still fueling. Dowell’s timely save maintained Hamlin’s position, a vital factor in his eventual triumph.
Fuel Strategy and Pit Crew Effort Key to Hamlin’s Win
The actions of Dowell not only saved Hamlin from a penalty but also allowed the team to pursue an aggressive fuel-saving strategy during the race’s closing laps. After restarting in 11th place with 20 laps remaining, Hamlin was able to stretch his fuel usage while leader William Byron ran low and eventually ran out of gas. Hamlin took the lead with just four laps to go, securing the win despite leading only five laps total during the event.
Hamlin highlighted the contrast with Carson Hocevar’s earlier fuel gamble, noting that Hocevar short-fueled hoping for caution periods but ultimately finished 29th after a tire issue. Thanks to careful fuel management enabled by Dowell’s pit stop save, Hamlin maximized his fuel load and outlasted competitors. This victory is Joe Gibbs Racing’s second fuel-strategy win of the season, following their success at Darlington in April.
With this win, Hamlin is now tied for the most victories in 2025 alongside teammate Christopher Bell and sits third in the overall points standings. The episode underscores how championships demand more than just speed—quick reflexes and teamwork behind the scenes can be just as critical.
