The 2006 season was special for Denny Hamlin in many ways. However, sweeping Pocono as a rookie has to be up there. Hamlin came onto the scene as a short-track specialist. However, it was at Pocono where he found his first NASCAR Cup Series win, and then his second in an impressive display of quick learning and great driving.
Perhaps finishing third overall in the standings that season is cooler than the Pocono wins. But it wouldn’t have been possible without those checkered flags. That season, Hamlin had two wins, six additional top-5s, and 12 more top-10 finishes.
So, how did Denny Hamlin get it done at the Tricky Triangle in just his first two races at the track?
“I don’t know what it was,” Hamlin said, via NASCAR. It all came quickly. “I remember my first time there, just sitting out on pit road waiting for some sort of veteran to drive by me so I could follow him, and I remember it was Mark Martin. I went out there, and I was probably five-six car lengths behind him and was like, ‘OK, this is the line you take.’
“And then five or six laps later, I passed him. And I was like, all right, I think I got it. It was just an interesting scenario, and it really fit my driving style.
“I think it’s a race track where a certain driving style rewards it. I’ve always been a guy that’s been easy on the entry and hard on the exit, and with the long straightaway there, I think that really made my car fast doing that.”
Now, with four more wins at the track since 2006, Hamlin is tied with Jeff Gordon for most wins at Pocono. He would have the record, if not for last year’s DQ.
Can Denny Hamlin avenge 2022 disqualification?
Last season, it was Denny Hamlin who made it across the line first. He celebrated, went to victory lane, it was a huge thing. He had finally taken the record for most wins at the track from Gordon and was ready to sit atop the Tricky Triangle throne.
Soon after the race finished, NASCAR had a huge announcement. Both Denny Hamlin and runner-up Kyle Busch had illegal tape on their front ends. It was some kind of strong helicopter tape that would have affected airflow. NASCAR deemed it illegal and Hamlin’s car did NOT pass post-race inspection. Neither did Busch.
In a tough decision at the Cup Series level, NASCAR disqualified both drivers and Chase Elliott, who was supposedly third, was given the win. It wasn’t one that he enjoyed or even celebrated. More or less, it is an interesting anecdote for his career.
Can Denny Hamlin avenge that DQ from last year in the HighPoint.com 400? If he were to win at Pocono this season he would become the all-time wins leader at the track and score his 50th checkered flag of his career.
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