Denny Hamlin has returned to his podcast, Actions Detrimental. In the return episode on Monday, there was much to be said from Hamlin. He explained their pit strategy and failures, fuel-saving issues, and provided interesting insights into a potential O’Reilly Series appearance.
The Actions Detrimental podcast is one of the most well-known NASCAR-themed podcasts. Hamlin’s broadcast team works with Dirty Mo Media to bring the production. This is a media company owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., featuring many NASCAR shows, with drivers serving as hosts.
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Denny Hamlin’s Pit Strategy at Daytona
The late pit strategy for the No. 11 team was quite interesting. Hamlin would forego pitting with the Toyotas a couple of laps earlier. When discussing when to pit, it was found that the remaining Toyotas had an extra lap of fuel remaining.
The ultimate decision for Chris Gayle was to get down and to pit with Ford’s. This is a strategy that has worked for the team, and Gayle trusted it. When asked why they did not just pit with the Toyotas, Hamlin had no answer, saying he would have to watch the tape. Perhaps some growing pains for the 2026 campaign.
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Fuel-Saving is an Issue
Feb 15, 2026; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; The drivers round the track during the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images© Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images
(© Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images)
Hamlin critiqued the NextGen era much more. Fuel saving was clearly an issue at Daytona with cars running 50-60% throttle much of the time. Instead of fierce racing, we saw a tight pack of cars running a parade around the oval for way too long.
On his podcast, Hamlin suggested that teams can test packages at the Clash that won’t see any fuel saving. In further criticism of the NextGen car, Hamlin suggested that these cars must be modeled to affect handling when going at that reduced speed. This will force cars to hit the gas and go full on rubber-to-pavement.
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Almost Racing the O’Reilly Series
Denny Hamlin has consistently stated how he would love to race in the O’Reilly Series. The last time that Hamlin raced in the series was in 2023 at Darlington, where he won the race. That is his only race in the series since 2021.
The Joe Gibbs Racing team asked Hamlin last summer if he would like to get back in an O’Reilly Series car. Hamlin hesitated not, stating that he would absolutely love to give it a go. He has often praised the O’Reilly Series for its better aerodynamics, which make the races more competitive than those in the Cup Series.
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Unfortunately, the sponsors seemingly fell through for Hamlin. As of now, he will not race in the 2026 O’Reilly Series. However, optimism can remain. The No. 11 car is entered part-time and has no set schedule. If a sponsor can be gained, a race can yet be run. Never say never.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the Racing section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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