{"id":106430,"date":"2026-06-19T07:23:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T14:23:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/?p=106430"},"modified":"2026-06-19T09:21:58","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T16:21:58","slug":"hamlin-wins-three-in-a-row-at-pocono","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/hamlin-wins-three-in-a-row-at-pocono\/","title":{"rendered":"Hamlin Wins Three In a Row at Pocono"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Hamlin<\/h2>\n

Three straight wins from the pole grants Hamlin access to join a very exclusive club.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Denny Hamlin<\/strong> is having a career year. Going into last weekend’s race at Pocono, he was the only driver on the top 10 all-time NASCAR Cup wins list that hadn’t won three in a row. Now, just about 18 months shy of his planned retirement, he’s done it \u2013 and in dramatic fashion, to boot.<\/p>\n

Hamlin is now one of just a handful of NASCAR drivers to win three straight races from the pole. The last driver to accomplish this feat, Darrel Waltrip<\/strong>, was also running the #11 when he pulled it off way back in 1981. This win, number 64, moves him into sole ownership of the ninth position on that illustrious list, behind Dale Earnhardt<\/strong>, at 76 wins.<\/p>\n

As has been the case this year, Hamlin hasn’t won these races by firing off perfectly on restarts or having good short-run speed. These last few weeks have been relatively uneventful, playing into the #11 team’s long-run strategy, as well as Hamlin’s excellent race management skills.<\/p>\n

Hamlin did, however, control much of the race, although his day nearly ended early. On lap 42, Zane Smith<\/strong> exited a corner, attempted to side draft Hamlin, and spun, causing a caution. He missed Hamlin by mere inches.<\/p>\n