Before the start of the 2025 season, an article published on NASCAR.com made a bold prediction. Joe Gibbs Racing would return as the class of the Cup Series field, with all four Toyotas in the Round of 8. It included Christopher Bell hoisting his first title, Chase Briscoe finally finding his groove, and Ty Gibbs getting that long-awaited Cup win. But, perhaps most important of them all was Denny Hamlin chasing down a legacy.
For Hamlin, every win this late in his career isn’t just another stat. It’s part of a closing argument. The missing championship still looms, and now with a new crew chief and fresh fatherly duties, the challenge has only grown. But if anyone thought that would slow down the No. 11, they clearly haven’t been paying attention. Because Denny Hamlin isn’t just back. To put it in simple words, he never really left.
Denny Hamlin is back in full throttle at Pocono
Denny Hamlin may have missed Mexico City for the birth of his son, Jameson Drew, but if Pocono proved anything, it’s that the No. 11 team hasn’t lost a step. With Hamlin grabbing the pole and finishing runner-up to Chase Briscoe, it was another commanding day for Joe Gibbs Racing. “I’m happy about our performance,” Hamlin said. “We’re just, you know, some fuel mileage away and some, you know, a little bit of blown engine stuff over the last two months.”
That comment isn’t just smoke. Denny Hamlin has had his share of gremlins under the hood this season. On May 4th, at Texas Motor Speedway during the Wurth 400, Hamlin’s day went up in literal flames with an engine failure and fire that parked him early. The following week, Hamlin suffered a clutch problem. His race ended prematurely because of a trans-axle failure. And well, this was the first time in twelve years that Denny Hamlin was hit with back-to-back DNF results. But none of it seems to faze him.
After missing just one race for a life milestone most drivers dream of, Hamlin stepped back into the garage with zero rust. And with the pace he’s shown lately, the competition would be smart not to underestimate his playoff potential. “Things are going really, really good right now,” Denny Hamlin told Frontstretch. “Happy with the way our team’s performing.”
Well, the No. 11 team sits comfortably third in the driver’s standings with 545 points, already securing a playoff position. Then, there’s Christopher Bell in fourth, just one point behind Hamlin with three wins to his name as well. Similarly, Chase Briscoe, even though in 9th place, has qualified for the playoffs after a miraculous win at Pocono. It’s only Ty Gibbs who is yet to secure his playoff spot and sits in 23rd place with 319 points. However, Ty is just in his third full-time season with the team and has shown significant improvement in recent weeks after a disastrous start to the season.
Coming back to Pocono, where clean air and execution often define the race, Hamlin once again made his case. He may not have added to his seven wins at the Tricky Triangle this time. But the bigger picture couldn’t be clearer. Joe Gibbs Racing is clicking, and the No. 11 still belongs in every championship conversation. And with that, all eyes now shift to Atlanta, where Hamlin and JGR look to keep the momentum rolling.
Joe Gibbs Racing looks to break the showtime at Atlanta
Joe Gibbs Racing heads into the Quaker State 400 at Echo Park Speedway with momentum on its side, aiming for another dominant performance and to further pad its already impressive record at the 1.54-mile superspeedway. The team has already claimed victory at Atlanta in 2025. Remember Christopher Bell dramatically winning the Ambetter Health 400 by surging from 32nd on the grid and taking the lead on the final lap in overtime? That was JGR’s 12th Cup Series win at the track and Toyota’s first at Atlanta since 2013. This triumph was a statement of both speed and strategy as well.
Joe Gibbs Racing’s legacy at Atlanta is deep, with wins dating back to Bobby Labonte’s successes in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The team has also seen victories from Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin. The current roster continues to build on this legacy, with each driver capable of contending for wins on any given weekend, as seen throughout the 2025 season.
As the Quaker State 400 approaches, the expectations for Joe Gibbs Racing remain high. The team’s recent form has been strong, with seven Cup Series wins already in 2025. Atlanta’s unique high-banked, drafting-style racing plays to JGR’s strengths in both speed and teamwork. For fans, the Quaker State 400 promises high-speed thrills and unpredictable action, with Joe Gibbs Racing once again a favorite to find itself in Victory Lane.
Do you think Joe Gibbs Racing can break Team Penske’s Next-Gen era domination this season? Let us know in the comments!
The post Unfazed by New Fatherly Responsibility, Denny Hamlin Boasts JGR Supremacy appeared first on EssentiallySports.