Denny Hamlin Interview After Winning All-Star Race at Dover | VICTORY LAP

Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour presented by NASCAR on FOX10mMay 18, 2026

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AI-Generated Summary

Denny Hamlin celebrates his surprise victory in the All-Star Race at Dover, a win that came with a $1 million prize and a dramatic, high-stakes format that tested drivers' adaptability. Hamlin admits he initially disliked Dover due to its distance from his short-track roots, but credits a deep study of Jimmie Johnson’s driving style for transforming his performance at the track. He praises the new qualifying format for creating excitement and forcing drivers to master traffic, though he calls the race itself too long and advocates for a shorter, nighttime event at Nashville’s Music City Speedway. Hamlin also reflects on the growing culture of team collaboration and data-driven preparation in modern NASCAR, noting that top teams like Joe Gibbs Racing are thriving due to cross-team knowledge sharing. His post-race burnout antics—confusingly delayed and miscommunicated—became a viral moment, underscoring the blend of showmanship and chaos that defines the All-Star Race.

Key Takeaways
1

Hamlin won the $1 million All-Star Race at Dover after retooling his approach by studying Jimmie Johnson’s driving style, proving that deep preparation can overcome track bias.

2

The new qualifying format, while chaotic, increased passing opportunities and tested drivers' ability to race in traffic, making it more entertaining despite its complexity.

3

Hamlin advocates for the All-Star Race to move to a shorter, nighttime track like Nashville’s Music City Speedway to boost fan engagement and TV appeal.

4

Top teams like Joe Gibbs Racing are gaining an edge through cross-team collaboration and data sharing, with owners actively monitoring work ethic and innovation.

5

The race’s length—over 100 laps—was too long, and Hamlin calls for a shorter format to maintain excitement and avoid fatigue.

…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus

Chapters
0:00
1 min

Sponsor: Dutton Ranch on Paramount Plus

Promotion for the new Paramount Original series 'Dutton Ranch,' a Yellowstone spinoff set in Rio Paloma, Montana, streaming exclusively from May 15.

1:00
1 min

Hamlin's Reaction to Winning $1M at Dover

I definitely knew my opportunities to win a million bucks heavily increased when they changed the schedule in that manner.

Highlight
2:00
2 min

The Pit Road Spin: A Tire Shine Lesson

Hamlin explains how he spun out during qualifying due to unremoved tire shine, resulting in flat spots and lost tire sets, but still managed to qualify well.

4:00
2 min

Qualifying Format: Chaos, Strategy, and Entertainment

It certainly challenged, you know, if you go out and you win the first stage or you finish in the top five, you're going to have to start 20th or worse.

Highlight
6:00
2 min

Dover’s Evolution: From Hated to Home Track

I just started studying it and I said, all right, I'm going to the racetrack, going to approach it like I think he would.

Highlight
High-Impact Quotes
think that it needs all -star races need to be at night. You've got to have the Open's got to come back.
Denny Hamlin7:14
Viral: 88.0
I just started studying it and I said, all right, I'm going to the racetrack, going to approach it like I think he would.
Denny Hamlin4:35
Viral: 85.0
I definitely knew my opportunities to win a million bucks heavily increased when they changed the schedule in that manner.
Denny Hamlin1:08
Viral: 82.0
Speakers

Host

Kevin Harvick

Guest

Denny Hamlin
Topics Discussed
denny hamlin95%all-star race format90%dover motor speedway85%nascar team strategy80%nascar night racing75%nascar qualifying75%nascar race length70%michael jordan nascar60%
People & Brands

Denny Hamlin

person

12xPositive

Kevin Harvick

person

6xNeutral

Joe Gibbs Racing

organization

3xPositive

Jimmie Johnson

person

3xPositive

Michael Jordan

person

2xPositive

Nashville Music City Speedway

place

2xPositive

Paramount Plus

organization

1xNeutral

Dutton Ranch

media

1xNeutral

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