#11: Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, Progressive Insurance Toyota Camry
History on Hamlin’s Side at Bristol
Denny Hamlin is heading into a race at one of his strongest tracks—Bristol Motor Speedway—where he has a chance to make NASCAR history.
The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran will mark his 400th straight Cup Series start and his 36th race at the 0.533-mile Bristol track in Tennessee. He leads all active drivers with four wins at the venue, known as “Thunder Valley” near the Tennessee-Virginia border.
Bristol, with its steep concrete turns and massive 146,000-seat capacity, calls itself “The Last Great Colosseum.” Hamlin has been red-hot recently, taking wins at both Martinsville and Darlington. If he wins again this weekend, he would surpass Kyle Busch as the all-time win leader at Joe Gibbs Racing (57 wins) and join teammate Christopher Bell as the only drivers this season with a three-race win streak.
Hamlin, however, is staying calm about the possibility, saying it’s best not to overthink big milestones because it can lead to mistakes. He sees each race as a new shot at victory and says that while a third straight win would be a proud moment, it’s not something he fixates on weekly.
He’s also realistic about how unpredictable racing can be, noting that everything went just right for him at Darlington, where he only led 10 laps but took the win thanks to a quick pit stop that launched him into the lead. That win pushed him past Rusty Wallace for 11th on NASCAR’s all-time win list.
At Bristol, Hamlin has often dominated—leading over 140 laps in two of the last three races. After his win there in September 2023, he taunted the crowd with the line, “I beat your favorite driver. All of them.” He’ll start fourth this time and expects a mix of cheers and boos once again.
Joey Logano, aiming for his third win at Bristol and recently recovered from a norovirus, said the crowd at the track is loud and in-your-face, giving it a sports stadium feel that brings added excitement.
Hamlin, now 44, still thrives on the crowd energy and is determined to keep chasing wins as long as he’s competitive.
Tributes to NASCAR Figures
It’s been a tough week for the NASCAR community with the deaths of two well-known figures. Veteran motorsports journalist Al Pearce, who covered 56 consecutive Daytona 500s, passed away at 82. Jon Edwards, longtime Hendrick Motorsports PR leader and close advisor to Jeff Gordon, died at 53.
Edwards later worked closely with Kyle Larson after he joined Hendrick in 2021 and helped him win his first Cup title. Larson, competing in all three national series races this weekend, is among several drivers honoring Edwards with decals on their cars.
Larson called Edwards his closest friend on the No. 5 team and said they plan to race in his memory, believing Edwards would want them to stay positive and keep pushing forward.
Alex Bowman will lead the field from the pole position for the second time this season. He noted that managing tire wear will be a major challenge during the 500-lap race and dedicated the pole to Edwards.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. qualified second, followed by Larson, Hamlin, and Ryan Blaney.
Stenhouse said the track conditions were rough during practice and qualifying, with tire wear being especially high, making for what he expects will be a tough and unpredictable race.
