Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour presented by NASCAR on FOX - Denny Hamlin: "We're ROLLING"

Episode Date: June 18, 2026

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Visit BetMGM Casino and check out the newest exclusive. The Price is Right Fortune Pick. BetMGM and GameSense remind you to play responsibly. 19 plus to wager. Ontario only. Please play responsibly. If you have questions or concerns about your gambling or someone close to you, please contact connects Ontario at 1-866-531-2,600 to speak to an advisor,

free of charge. BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming Ontario. 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 Denny Hamlin. Man, you are making it look easy out there, bud, starting to back. start on the pole, whatever it takes, just another great weekend at Pocono.

Yeah, and I mean, you know, I don't know exactly what it looked 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 the top five fastest lap of the race. I thought in the short run, actually the Hendrick cars had a lot of speed. But 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 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 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, 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, yeah, 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 so amazing to me how fickle the fans 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 going to tear this place down booing. And now you get out of the car, and it's a lot of cheers. think that as you get towards the end of your career and everybody's like, man, 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 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 then all of a sudden they all like you. What's what's that like right now 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 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 you know, just through time, you know, I'm appreciative of those that have switched over to sporting us. Yeah, well, it's fun to see. And I think that, you know, it's rare that you see somebody get on a role like this. And I think that I think this is the best team that you've been a part of in your career. But I think that I get this question from a lot of fans as we travel around the country. they're like, why is Denny Hamlin winning so many races right now? Why is his car so much better?

I'm like, his car is not better. They're doing a better job, and I think that you guys have really good stuff. But explain the process that it takes to get to the point of having a car that you have on the weekends. Because in my opinion, you put in more work and you do things better. But the experience, you know, you get to a part of. of your career, if you have that experience, they're not going to catch up to you. You've got the experience 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 keep that up, A,

right now you're doing well at it? But 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've been. guys are doing right now. So I mean it's it's some of the reason why I have conceded at this point of my career to I'm as good as I'm going to 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 what sorry my skill level on the road courses right now would have been good enough years ago. but everyone's just better now and they've learned and they've trained and they got you know 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 win i'm going to have a great shot at winning and i just i only have so many hours in the day so i just feel like my time is best suited focusing lots of time on the Ovales, 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, and I'm looking at what is the best path

to winning a championship and winning the most races, and it's through the Oval's. 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 know how to get it done. And a lot of that is just the experience of working with me

and some of the engineers I've had now for a few years, understands my language. And so that's the advantage is that going to these racetracks and we've wanted so many of these tracks that I just replicate the feel. No matter what the car is, what the tire is, whatever you've got to give me 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, they must be 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 your life and the things that you can explain to them 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 on-track performance. Our pit crew has been very, very good. No, no big mistakes here lately. Like, all those things really matter, and whether you win these races or not. So, 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. So it's just the difference is that we have all those elements of our team 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 week. 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 a great event. I know you spend most of the time on the ovals. So what's the goal this week as you head to San Diego? Is it top 10? Is it just finished? What's your goal personally? Top 15. I mean, that would put us all. 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 them honest for the rest of the regular season, depending on kind of what he does, but I can't control that. All I can control is my result. 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 I'm truthfully actually optimistic about our performance and how we can run there. I mean, the first year in Chicago, we got the pole there.

I've been fast at Chicago every time we went there. I like the street courses. So, you know, hopefully we have some of the similar result this time around. Well, you're doing a great job and I can't wait to watch this weekend. And the regular season championship, it's definitely within reach. Did you think that was even a possibility with this big elite that he had? Not really. And especially, I mean, people are 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. From a historical standpoint, the guy's got like a 7-0 average finish. Like at this point in season, that is really, really hard to do. And so 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 smell blood.

I think if it's above that, like, I'm going to 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 I just, I think that, you know, we need to just keep it somewhat within range here to really make a run at it. But they're doing a great job. And I think he'll be one of the guys up front this week that you're going to have to be. Well, it's been fun to watch. And I love the fact that old guys are still kicking ass.

So keep at it, man. Congratulations on everything. And keep it rolling. Yeah, appreciate it. Thank you.