If you want to understand the razor-thin margin of error at Dover Motor Speedway, look no further than Denny Hamlin’s qualifying session on Saturday night. According to updates from the track, Hamlin secured the pole position for Sunday’s massive exhibition race in a completely chaotic fashion.
During his initial warmup lap on the treacherous 1-mile concrete oval, Hamlin actually lost control and spun the car. Gathering up a Next Gen chassis on the “Monster Mile” without destroying the tires or slamming the inside wall is an achievement in itself.
Advertisement
But to reset, immediately get back up to speed, and lay down the fastest lap of the entire session? That is a masterclass in raw car control.
Hemlin on Grid Top 5
Hamlin’s incredible recovery puts him in the prime position to control Sunday’s 350-lap marathon, but he has a hungry pack starting right off his bumper. RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski will join him on the front row.
However, the mechanics for Front Row Motorsports are the ones who had the ultimate payday. As part of NASCAR’s revamped Dover format, the qualifying session directly integrated the Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge. Instead of one of the mega-teams like Hendrick Motorsports or Joe Gibbs Racing taking the crown, the over-the-wall crew for Zane Smith’s No. 38 Ford F-150 pulled off a massive upset.
Denny Hamlin wins the pole position for the NASCAR All-Star Race after a spin on his warmup lap. Brad Keselowski also on the front row.
Zane Smith’s pit crew wins the Pit Crew Challenge (which took place as part of the qualifying session just now). They win $100k
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) May 16, 2026
Smith’s crew executed a flawless stop to win the challenge outright. While they don’t get the million-dollar prize for Sunday’s race, the No. 38 crew is walking out of Dover tonight with a massive $100,000 bonus check for being the fastest guys on pit road.
Read the full article here