NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin (11) in turn one during the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Darlington finish proves pit road is where NASCAR races are won and lost

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Apr 6, 2025 9:17 PM ET

Pit road, in NASCAR's most apt comparison, may be the trenches of football.

NASCAR pit-crew members are the offensive and defensive linemen of racing, those who often decide outcomes but are sometimes forgotten.

That was the case at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, when Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney came out on drastically different ends of the pit-road spectrum.

After a caution with four laps to go, Blaney led the field down pit road for the final time. Hamlin sat third behind Tyler Reddick, who had been passed by Blaney for the lead just before the caution.

When the field came off pit road, Hamlin's No. 11 led the way, while Blaney was relegated to fourth.

It all came down to this critical moment.@dennyhamlin goes from third to first on pit road. pic.twitter.com/nwgb3YUobA
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 6, 2025

With Reddick's wounded Toyota serving as Hamlin's front-row competition on the overtime restart, Hamlin easily secured the lead and the win. Blaney, meanwhile, crossed the line in fifth.

"Pit road, we gotta work on a little bit," Blaney told Fox Sports after the race.

Hamlin was thrilled with his crew after they also played a major role in helping him win at Martinsville on March 30.

"This pit crew did an amazing job," Hamlin said. "They won it last week, they won it this week."

Pit road isn't the only factor that goes into winning a NASCAR race, but like the trenches in an NFL game, it's an aspect that can often be the deciding factor. So far this season, Hamlin's pit crew has a clutch gene. It appears that Blaney's pit crew does not.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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