“Things are going really, really good right now…Everything’s clicking.” What Denny Hamlin said recently made absolute sense. Already a three-time winner this season, Hamlin has been a dominant force in 2025. In 6 of the last 10 starts, Hamlin has finished third or better, and he led laps in 9 of those 10 as well. However, a reality check was incoming, and it came via his newbie teammate.

Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs’ newest recruit for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, had been performing well. The driver of the No.19 Toyota Camry had bagged five top 5 results, 4 pole positions, but the all-important win had eluded him so far until his trip to Pocono Raceway. Not only did Briscoe keep his rivals in the rear-view mirror, but his crew chief, James Small, devised a strategy that even caught Denny Hamlin off guard.

Denny Hamlin admits to fumbling on his home ground

After all, the No. 11 Toyota driver is a master of Pocono. Navigating the three turns and tricky turns of the Pennsylvania racetrack has long been Denny Hamlin’s bread and butter. His victories began in Pocono and repeated a jaw-dropping 7 times – the most that any driver has won at the racetrack. So when the 57-time Cup Series winner won the pole for Sunday’s Great American Getaway 400, everyone assumed an 8th trophy was incoming. Yet little did anybody suspect that Chase Briscoe, who was contemplating his future a year ago, could become a threat to Hamlin. Briscoe was racing against the odds with minimal fuel on the last green flag run, and everyone thought the #19 car would run out of fuel, only it didn’t.

Denny Hamlin took that bait and genuinely believed that Chase Briscoe would be in trouble. After his runner-up finish, Hamlin let out his feelings in a post-race interview: “I thought he was going to run out. So I really didn’t press too hard early in the run because when the speeds are up that high, you’re just not going to get around somebody unless they completely blow the corner. So, at that point, I’m just trying to save my car but keep him honest. And I just couldn’t quite get close enough to not allow him to save fuel. That’s the way it breaks. I mean, the race goes green, he was definitely ending up short, because that caution came out. But that’s how they came out so far ahead on that green flag sequence. And I thought he was so far ahead, and I was like, there’s no way they got as much fuel in it as we did.”

Yet Chase Briscoe did it. The Indiana native perfectly executed throttle control to maintain the lead and not run his car out of gas. A bold pit call on lap 119 sealed the deal. Briscoe was quick on the gas pedal and didn’t wait out long enough in his stall to gain the track position. It was a make-or-break call for the #19 team, and while the late caution did throw a wrench in their plans, but an excellent fuel mileage execution sealed the playoffs spot for Briscoe.

He ultimately beat Denny Hamlin across the line by 0.682 seconds. Hamlin dropped a note of observation of Briscoe’s fuel mileage skills that ultimately got to him: “Yeah, I could see him checking up about 100 feet early into the corners. And that can definitely save you some fuel.” Most of all, Hamlin emphasized just how surprised he was at Briscoe’s victory: “I never thought he did, I never thought he would. They told me half a lap at best. So I was thinking on the last lap, he was going to run out. But obviously, I couldn’t stay close enough to keep him honest.” 

Well, Denny Hamlin was not the only boss whom Chase Briscoe defeated. Another Pocono master was hounding his back in the closing laps.

Worthy rivals were there all along

Well, Denny Hamlin’s stats speak for themselves. They reinforce the fact that the JGR veteran’s presence was a solid obstacle in Chase Briscoe‘s path. However, it was not the only hurdle. During the last 34 laps, Briscoe had to contend with not only Hamlin but also Ryan Blaney. The defending winner owned two trophies from Pocono Raceway, and he was also in contention for the win. Blaney’s great strategic day pay-off also had some significant problems that he faced earlier. He started from the back of the grid after adjusting his car following qualifying. The Team Penske driver also had a malfunctioning cooling suit in which he ran more than 100 laps on the steamy, hot summer afternoon.

Chase Briscoe could feel the spirit of his rivals when they pursued him. However, he ended up victorious in the end. Ryan Blaney reflected on his jaw-dropping race: “It was hot. I flipped it on probably lap 15…Was able to just keep going. Really proud of the whole 12 guys from starting in the back, making good ground. Then me speeding set us back again…Yeah, just kind of stuck really there at the end, all three of us just kind of running the same pace. Obviously, I would have liked to have won. I think after having to start in the back, then the mistake I made, I feel like we recovered really well. Our car was fast enough to do it. Overall, I feel we made the most of our day. Just a little extra would have been one or two spots team.”

This win by Chase Briscoe means that the playoff bubble has shifted, and with just 5 spots remaining, the rest of the regular season season is going to be chaotic to say the least.