Sunday, July 28, 2019

Hamlin Picks up Fifth Pocono Win

Originally written for CLNS Media.


Denny Hamlin won the Gander RV 400 from Pocono Raceway on Sunday afternoon.

Hamlin held off his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Erik Jones and Martin Truex Jr. on the final restart, with fuel-mileage on everyone’s minds.
Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

The final round of pit stops caused most of the front-runners to stretch it on fuel, but two cautions late in the race allowed everyone to make it.  With everyone worried about fuel-mileage, Hamlin challenged Jones and Truex, hoping he could push them to run out of fuel.

Hamlin said he was worried that his team wouldn’t be able to make it to the end on fuel.

“I was really worried,” Hamlin said.  “We just did a great job with the car.  Once we lost track position there to [Truex] and [Jones], we weren’t able to pass them.”

Pocono staff put PJ1, a substance that adds grip to different grooves on the track, on the track before the race.  Hamlin said he was able to use the substance to his advantage to get to the lead.

“Thanks Pocono for putting in this PJ1, because I was able to use it there and get around those guys,” Hamlin said. 

Jones’ second-place finish was his third-consecutive top 3 finish.  Jones said he believes his team can break through and get a win before the playoffs.

“It’s a bummer, we’re close every week,” Jones said.  “It would sure be nice just to knock a win out, and when we’re just so close it stings a little bit more when you get that close.”

“We just have to break through and once we get one, I think we can knock a couple off.”

Unofficial results:
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Erik Jones
3. Martin Truex Jr.
4. William Byron
5. Kyle Larson
6. Kevin Harvick
7. Daniel Hemric
8. Brad Keselowski
9. Kyle Busch
10. Ryan Blaney
11. Clint Bowyer
12. Aric Almirola
13. Joey Logano
14. Ryan Newman
15. Jimmie Johnson
16. Chris Buescher
17. Matt DiBenedetto
18. Paul Menard
19. Austin Dillon
20. Alex Bowman
21. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
22. Bubba Wallace
23. Matt Tifft
24. Daniel Suarez
25. Michael McDowell
26. Corey LaJoie
27. Kurt Busch
28. Landon Cassill
29. Ty Dillon
30. Ross Chastain
31. Quin Houff
32. Reed Sorenson
33. BJ McLeod
34. Austin Theriault
35. Josh Bilicki
36. David Ragan
37. Ryan Preece
38. Chase Elliott

Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

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