Denny Hamlin Left Puzzled by JGR’s Talladega Strategy Call

Following a 15th-place finish at Talladega, Denny Hamlin used his Actions Detrimental podcast to question the internal strategy at Joe Gibbs Racing. Despite the organization’s emphasis on unity, Hamlin felt the team missed an obvious chance to help him recover from being a lap down during the race.

“And it says on the wall ‘one team’ at JGR. I know that there is no way as a team owner I want as many bullets in the gun as possible. If I have the choice of having one car on the lead lap or multiple cars on the lead lap, do what you gotta do to get the multiple,” he explained.

It started with a penalty both Hamlin and Briscoe received that put them a lap down. The opportunity to get back to the lead lap came up, and Christopher Bell would be key. Because Bell stayed out to protect his top five, the remaining three JGR drivers had to fight to get back up.

“I thought he was already up front… I just feel like, man, come on, that was an easy one to let us back on the lead lap. If you’re going to let anyone back on the lead lap, you let your teammate back. Because at the end of the race… who you need? Is people pushing you—teammates?”

Ultimately, he dismissed the logic behind the decision-making, simply stating, “It was just a call.”

Denny Hamlin Promises No Mercy to FRM

Denny Hamlin’s 15th-place finish at Talladega was largely due to a speeding penalty that trapped him a lap down. On his Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin learned that the No. 4 team potentially stayed out on track specifically to prevent him from taking a wave-around.

Just one week earlier at Kansas, Hamlin drove a dominant car and chose to help Todd Gilliland stay on the lead lap. Seeing that same organization refuses to return the favor at Talladega has changed his approach moving forward.

“Really? This is the same Front Row team that I let back on the lead lap last week?… Really? Ok. Well, when it comes back around, when I go to lap Noah at one of these races, I’ll make sure I have no mercy then,” Hamlin warned.