Pocono is a famous NASCAR race track. It’s tricky because the track layout and tire grip can change, so drivers have to pick the right lines through the turns to go fast.
In NASCAR, “strategy” is how the team plans the race—like when to pit and how to manage tires and fuel. It’s about making the car work best at the right times.
A road course is a race track with many turns, not just left turns. It usually feels more technical and requires different driving and car setup than oval tracks.
Ovals are tracks that are mostly left turns and run at high speed. He’s saying he focuses on oval races because that’s where he thinks he can win most often.
It means getting back on the gas hard when you’re coming out of a turn. He’s talking about the timing of when to accelerate so the car can build speed.
A shock is part of the suspension that helps the tires stay planted. He’s saying he doesn’t micromanage which exact suspension part to change—he tells the team how the car should feel and they decide what to adjust.
“Freer” is how drivers describe the car feeling more willing to turn. He’s comparing it to “tighter,” which is the opposite feel, so he can attack the corners the way he wants.
“Tighter” is a driver’s way of saying the car feels more controlled and turns more sharply. He’s describing the exact handling balance he wants to improve how he attacks the track.
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I just feel like my time is best suited focusing lots of time on the novels because that's
the bulk of our schedule, that's how they're going to crown a champion.
All those things really matter to me.
Welcome to Kevin Harvick's happy hour presented by NASCAR on FOX and another victory lap with
with Denny Hamlin. Man you are you're making it look easy out there bud starting the back,
start on the pole, whatever it takes it's just another great weekend at Pocono.
Yeah and I mean you know I don't know exactly what it would look like on TV but I didn't feel
dominant from my standpoint. I didn't think that we had like dominant speed versus others. I don't
even know that we really set remotely even top five fastest lap of the race. I thought in the
short run actually the Hendrick cars had a lot of speed. Where my strength really was was that
we qualified well, we executed our strategy and we executed some restarts and that really was
the three main things that you got to have at that racetrack and we just executed on all fronts.
When you look at Pocono you go back to your first win there and you know you've been so good there
through through the years and won so many races. What about Pocono has been good for you from a
driver's standpoint that's kind of fit what you've done because you've done every generation car
your whole career? I think just the experience of knowing where to get speed at that racetrack.
You know what what corners do you attack which ones do you not attack and really kind of focus on
the exit. Being able to be versatile with that track you know that the line has moved around
over the last few years just finding where that grip is has been kind of a key for me as well so
um yeah just I approach it the same as I always have really for the last 15 to 20 years and the
way I make speeds the same. When you got out of the car it's it's so amazing to me uh how how
fickle the fans can can be and you know I think back and I don't remember what year it was you
won the race and I got out and I was like holy crap they're gonna tear this place down booing
and now you get out of the car and it's it's a lot of cheers and and I think that as you get
towards the end of your career and everybody's like man we're we're witnessing something great
here and they start cheering for you and everything that's happened in your life I mean that has to
feel good that that you're on that side of it with the fans because like I'm like you like I've
been on both sides of it where they all hate me and and then all of a sudden they all like you
what's what's that like right now with with the fans and the interaction I know you've been
all over the place with it but I mean it seems like you're in a really good spot with with the
whole with the whole fan base right now yeah I mean I listen I'm appreciative of the fan base no
matter what what noise they're making either one is is truthfully fine with me but um yeah there
was just a moment where it was just a lot of chirping going back and forth and so yeah um I
think it was easy for them to I think it was very easy for them to root against me for for quite
some time um and you know now it's you know whether they see a different side through the podcast or
or you know just through time um you know I'm I'm appreciative of those that that have switched
over to supporting us yeah well it's it's fun to see and and I think that um you know it's it's
rare that you see somebody get on a on a roll like this and and I think that uh I think this is the
best team that you've been a part of uh in your career but I think that I get this question
from a lot of fans as as we travel around the country they're like why is Denny Hamlin winning
so race so many races right now why is he why is his car so much better I'm like his car is not better
they're doing a better job and and I think that you guys have really good stuff but explain the
process that that it takes to to get to the point of having a car that that you have on the weekends
because in my opinion you put in more work but and and you do things better but the experience
you know you get to a part of your career if you have that experience they're not going to
catch up to you that you've got the experience that that you're going to have that advantage
until you decide to quit but the effort that it takes during the week I mean how long can you
can you can you keep that up uh a right now you're you're doing well at it but
as you as you go through this process every single week just explain to the fans what your week is
like because it takes a lot of effort to get the things out of the car that you that you guys are
doing right now so I mean it's it's some of the reason why I have conceded at this point in my
career to I'm as good as I'm gonna get on the road courses I just I've reached my limit there
I think is my skill level on the road courses right now
sorry my skill level on the road courses right now would have been good enough years ago
but everyone's just better now and and they've learned and they've trained and they got you
they started younger so to bring it back into what's my week like now it's like well I use that
bandwidth and what time I have to focus on the racetracks where I know I can go in I'm gonna
have a great shot at winning and I just I only have it so many hours in a day so I just feel like
my time is best suited focusing lots of time on the levels because that's the bulk of our schedule
that's how they're gonna crown a champion all those things really matter to me and I I'm looking
at what is the best path to winning a championship and winning the most races and it's through the
ovals so that's where I focus and so I think my advantage is that when I go to Pocono I've been
there freaking 30 times so I know exactly what I need out of my car and when I barrel it off in
there into turn one I know exactly where to break where I need to pick up the gas and if my car is
not working properly I typically can send them down the right direction to fix it I don't know
what they fix that's not me I'm not the crew chief I'm not saying I need more right rear shock or
anything like that all I'm saying is I need to be a little freer in this portion to be a little bit
tighter in this portion so I can attack this so I can make the gas do that and they they they know
how to get it done and a lot of that is just the experience of working with me and you know some
of the engineers I've had now for for a few years understands my language and so that's the advantage
is that going to these race tracks and we've won it so many of these tracks that I just replicate
the feel no matter what the car is what the tire is whatever you got to give me that
feel that's what I'm going to ask for and that's what they're giving me yeah well it frustrates me
when people talk about well they must be cheating doing that I'm like no that's not
how it works it's details it's experience and it's all those things is this the best team
that you think you've ever had as far as where you're at in in your life and the things that you
can explain to them and and them reacting to it well it's certainly things are rolling right now
and I mean you've been at these points of your career right it's just once you got it rolling
you got it rolling and when everyone is executing like it's not just our own track performance
our pit crew has been very very good no no big mistakes here lately like all those things really
matter um and whether you win these races or not so that you know everyone's executing on a high
level our strategy was right our pit crew was right our car was just fast enough I did the right
job on the restarts that's why we're winning right now and so I think that that you know we just have
all that figured out and all it takes is one of those elements to not be exactly right in the next
week and you're not going to win and you're going to look mediocre just like everyone else yeah so
it's just the difference is that we have all those elements of our team uh going you know
playing at a top level right now yeah well you guys are doing a great job and you mentioned the
road courses we're going to San Diego this this week it's it's um I've I've seen I've seen some of
the track it's rough it's narrow it's a very cool setting I can't wait to watch I think it's going to
be great for the sport and in a great event what I know you spend most of the time on the ovals
so what's the goal this week as as you head to San Diego is it top 10 is it just finished what what
what's your what's your goal personally uh top 15 I mean that would put us on par with where we've
finished in the previous two road courses this year I think we've been 10th and 15th in the two
road courses that will give me at least a fighting chance I think to stay close enough to Tyler to
keep him honest for the rest of the regular season depending on kind of what he does but I
I can't control that all I control is my results so I'll try to do the best I can to get the most
speed out of the car as possible I do think that attrition will play a factor at San Diego with how
rough and narrow the track is at certain points so I'm just going to do the best job I can and
and I'm truthfully I actually optimistic about our performance and how we can run there I mean the
first year at Chicago we we got the pole there um I was I've I've been fast at Chicago every time
I went there um I like the street courses so um you know hopefully we have some similar result this
time around well you're doing a great job and I can't wait to to watch this weekend and the regular
season championship it's it's definitely within within reach did you think that was even a possibility
with with this big a lead that he had not really and especially I mean people were talking about
our season and how great it is and it's certainly been very good but we're still second in points
that tells you how good the 45 season is and from a historical standpoint the guys got like a 7 0
average finish like at this point in season that is really really hard to do and um and so I they're
executing at a high level they're fast every week I still think you know we just talked about it on
my podcast I thought that like if I can leave the two road courses in the 50 to 60 range I think
I'll I'll I'll smell blood I think if it's above that like I'm gonna need I'll need him to have some
bad luck which I'm not wishing on anyone so especially not the car that I own so yeah I just
I think that you know we we need to just keep it somewhat within range here to really make a run at
it but um they're doing a great job and I think he'll be one of the guys up front this week that
you're gonna have to be well it's been fun to watch and I love the fact that old guys are still kicking
ass so keep keep at it man congratulations on everything and keep it rolling yeah I appreciate it
About this episode
Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick dig into what made Hamlin’s Pocono weekend click, from executing strategy and restarts to finding grip by attacking the right corners and focusing on exit. Hamlin also explains why his wins often look like “the car is better,” insisting “they're doing a better job.” He ties his oval-focused approach to experience, then looks ahead to San Diego with a top-15 goal while noting rough, narrow sections could bring attrition.
Three in a row for the No. 11! Denny Hamlin joins Kevin Harvick on Happy Hour fresh off an incredible, historic three-peat victory at Pocono Raceway. From conquering Nashville and Michigan to outlasting the field at the Tricky Triangle, Denny breaks down how his JGR team has completely found another gear. Kevin and Denny dive deep into his flawless execution, what it's like tracking down his own 23XI driver Tyler Reddick in the championship standings, and why this is officially the most dominant summer stretch of his 21-year career.
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