Can Denny Hamlin win his first Bill France Cup in his 19th straight year in NASCAR’s premier tier? With two short track wins in the first seven races, JGR’s #11 has certainly ignited discussions one more time as we get ready for the pushrod V8s to excite at the half-mile of mayhem in Martinsville on Sunday at the Cook Out 400.

Denny’s victory sparked teammate frustrations and the usual drama, but the controversial green flag restart stole the show. However, the real key to the #11 car’s win? Blistering pit stops, a whopping one second faster than JGR teammate Martin Truex Jr who was leading at the time. Denny’s crew chief finally had a contrasting observation to make.

Crew Chief compares Denny Hamlin’s pit stop to “Walk-Off Homer” in Richmond

In recent discussions with SiriusXM’s NASCAR radio, the leader of the #11 crew, Chris Gabehart, sang nothing but praise for his team’s stellar displays, declaring, “Our team, you know, it’s well documented how solid they’ve been all year…” On the other hand, Gabehart had an interesting comparison to make to the ballparks of the MLB. “What a great moment for them (at Richmond). That is by far what I am most proud of the whole night: For those 5 guys that is a walk-off home run in the World Series to win the Series… That is almost as good as it gets.”

In response to the restart controversy, Denny Hamlin’s crew chief downplayed the debate, highlighting the immense effort behind every Cup Series win, regardless of how it’s achieved. He said, “You have a caution with a lap and a half to go. Come in running third. Knocking off a great pitstop that gives your driver the lead and he kind of finishes the layup, and wins the race. So just super proud of that whole group and just how well they’re working together.”

Indeed, it was, and with Martinsville beaming on the horizon on Sunday, the #11 team seems more than qualified. From an NFL player to a former championship-winning crew member with Team Penske, Denny Hamlin seems to have it all at JGR.

An undrafted NFL prospect is now key to his success

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Joel Bouagnon is one of those five crew members under Chris Gabehart. Although the 29-year-old California native may not have harbored dreams of home runs or checkered flags, the former undrafted NFL prospect for teams such as the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers was the major reason for Denny Hamlin’s swift pit stop last Sunday. The running back-turned-jackman was the primary reason for the impressive time differential. 

On NASCAR’s “Inside the Race,” experts Steve Letarte and Todd Gordon recently revealed a pit stop shocker. During Richmond’s final restart, Bouagnon, the jackman for the # car, was a whopping three-tenths of a second faster than #19’s jackman, Caleb Durks. All in all, the team consisting of tire changers AJ Rosini and Deven Youker, joined by fueler Kenneth Purcell and 2020-championship-winning tire carrier for Joey Logano, Dylan Dowell, could very well win the #11 car’s very first championship with JGR.

Moreover, Denny Hamlin’s #11 Toyota has been the third fastest to enter and leave the pit road, while the #11 crew has been the fifth fastest to service a vehicle, averaging times of 10.619 seconds in the last seven NCS races. Interestingly, teammate Christopher Bell’s #20 team sits highest on that list currently. JGR’s well-oiled machine seems to be running in full swing, albeit with a few hitches here and there. Can they repeat their Richmond dominance in Martinsville this Sunday?

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