3 oldest NASCAR legends feat. Denny Hamlin to claim back-to-back NASCAR Cup Series poles

Denny Hamlin won pole position at the World Wide Technology Raceway in Gateway, St. Louis, making it his second consecutive NASCAR Cup Series pole in the 2025 playoffs. At 44 years and 9 months old, Hamlin became the third-oldest driver in Cup Series history to take back-to-back poles. The achievement puts him side by side with two legends of the sport, Mark Martin and Bill Elliott, who each set a similar record of their own in past seasons.

Let's take a look at the oldest NASCAR drivers to win consecutive pole positions in the Cup Series.

#3 Denny Hamlin (2025 – 44 years, 9 months)

Denny Hamlin won back-to-back poles in the 2025 playoffs at Darlington Raceway and Gateway. At Darlington, he put his No. 11 Toyota on top in the opening playoff race. The next week at Gateway, he ran a lap at 139.190 mph to take his 46th career pole. It set another record as it was the first pole for Toyota at the track. Hamlin beat Kyle Larson by 0.021 seconds. With this run, Hamlin stayed perfect in playoff qualifying and tied Junior Johnson for 11th most pole positions of all-time.

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#2 Bill Elliott (2002 – 46 years, 9 months)

Bill Elliott became the second-oldest driver to win back-to-back poles in 2002. That season, he won four poles and scored victories at Pocono and Indianapolis. He also got his 16th “Most Popular Driver” award.

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#1 Mark Martin (2009 – 50 years, 2 months)

Mark Martin holds the record as the oldest driver to win consecutive pole positions. In 2009, at age 50, he put together one of his best seasons. He won five poles, took five race victories, and finished second in the championship standings. No one older has matched his back-to-back pole record since.

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Denny Hamlin on Tyler Reddick’s Future with 23XI Racing

Denny Hamlin recently spoke about off-track matters concerning his team, 23XI Racing. With Tyler Reddick’s contract in the spotlight, Hamlin was asked about their efforts to retain the driver following the recent legal challenges involving NASCAR charters.

Last week, a federal court ruling denied 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports a preliminary injunction in their lawsuit against NASCAR, which rescinded their permanent charter status. Without charter protections, teams lose guaranteed starting spots, creating uncertainty for drivers. This development means that Reddick could potentially become a free agent after the 2025 season if no resolution is reached.

Asked about the situation, Hamlin confirmed that 23XI Racing had Reddick under contract and expressed confidence that both the driver and the team felt secure going into December, when a jury trial is scheduled if no settlement occurs. When pressed by FOX’s Bob Pockrass on whether other teams had tried to lure Reddick, Hamlin replied simply,

“I’m not sure.”

This uncertainty comes as the Cup Series heads to the World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois, for the Enjoy Illinois 300. Denny Hamlin will line up for his 27th start of the season, where he enters second in the championship standings with four wins, 11 top-fives, and 14 top-10s. He has led 567 laps so far with an average finish of 13.615.