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In what was a controversial end to this Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin seemed to have come full circle in his career.
The HighPoint.com 400 at Pocono Raceway this weekend saw Hamlin go side by side with Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson during the race's final restart. An aggressive move from the #11 Toyota Camry TRD driver confirmed his trip to victory lane amongst the Long Pond, Pennsylvania, mountains.
In a list of drivers to have achieved their first Cup Series victory at the 2.5-mile-long track, Denny Hamlin is one of the notable mentions, as the Tampa, Florida, native won his first-ever Cup Series race at Pocono in 2006.
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Kicking off an illustrious career at Coach Gibbs' racing outfit, Denny Hamlin is also the driver with the most wins at 'The Tricky Triangle'.
Coming off a trip to victory lane at Pocono in 2023, Hamlin also clinched his 50th career victory at the facility this weekend, a year after he was disqualified by NASCAR after winning the same race last season.
Currently sitting with 7 wins to his name at the track, Hamlin's former teammate Kyle Busch is the only driver who comes close to his tally of wins at Pocono, with 4 on the now-Richard Childress Racing driver's tally.
While Kyle Larson might not be the happiest about the way Hamlin achieved his seventh victory at Pocono Raceway, it certainly does not take away from the driver's achievement.
"There would be no 23XI Racing was there not Joe and his family": Denny Hamlin on Joe Gibbs Racing's role behind him making the jump from driver to team owner
Despite the slightly controversial circumstances under which Denny Hamlin's 50th NASCAR Cup Series win came about, the 42-year-old looked happier than ever.
Elaborating on his success with Coach Gibbs' racing outfit for the last 18 years of his stock car racing career, Hamlin also touched upon his jump from driver to team owner.
He said in an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio:
"I love my home at Joe Gibbs Racing. It's been great, the last 18 years have been amazing. That's family there, and really there would be no 23XI Racing was there not Joe and his family."
Watch Denny Hamlin go at it again next weekend at Richmond Raceway during the Cook Out 400. The race goes live on Sunday, July 30, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. ET.
