Denny Hamlin had a strong chance to win again at Pocono Raceway, but a mid-race pit strategy call disrupted his race, allowing his Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) teammate Chase Briscoe to take the victory. In a post-race interview, Hamlin explained that a caution flag came out just after a group of cars, including Briscoe, had pitted. Hamlin stayed out on the track for one more lap before pitting, which caused him to lose track position. By the time he returned to the track, Briscoe had taken the lead and it became nearly impossible for Hamlin to regain it under green-flag conditions. Despite having a fast car and strong pace, the strategy did not work out as planned.

Chase Briscoe made his final pit stop on Lap 119 of 160. Immediately after that, a caution flag came out, which flipped the race in Briscoe’s favor. He switched to fuel conservation mode and managed to maintain the lead for the remaining laps. Hamlin, who pitted a lap later and took more time to refuel, was stuck behind traffic and could not push hard in clean air. Briscoe held off Hamlin by 0.682 seconds to claim his first NASCAR Cup Series win of 2025 and secure a spot in the playoffs. Briscoe led a race-best 72 laps and executed perfect throttle control to conserve fuel while being chased by Hamlin and Ryan Blaney, who finished third.

Hamlin still had a strong performance overall. He won Stage 1 and finished second, marking his third consecutive top-three finish in 2025 and his sixth top-two finish in the last nine Pocono races. The race itself started more than two hours late due to rain and ended with a 30-lap green-flag run. Other top finishers included Chris Buescher in fourth and Chase Elliott in fifth.

This race marked Hamlin’s return after missing the previous week’s Cup Series race in Mexico City due to the birth of his third child, a son named Jameson Drew. Hamlin described experiencing “bad FOMO” (fear of missing out) during the Mexico City practice sessions but was granted a playoff waiver on medical grounds to keep his playoff eligibility. Coming off a win at Michigan just before his absence, Hamlin remains in strong form heading into the Round of 16 opener at Darlington Raceway on August 31.

In summary, Chase Briscoe’s fuel-saving strategy and timely pit stop under caution allowed him to hold off Denny Hamlin at Pocono Raceway, securing his first win with Joe Gibbs Racing and locking in a playoff spot. Hamlin’s strategy was compromised by the caution timing, leaving him unable to catch Briscoe despite a strong car and pace. The race featured seven cautions and a delayed start due to rain, with Ryan Blaney finishing third behind the JGR teammates.