Toyota GAZOO Racing – Denny Hamlin
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes
MADISON, Ill. (September 6, 2025) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin was made available to the media on Saturday after winning the pole for the NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.
This is Hamlin’s second consecutive pole to open the Playoffs and third this season (Pocono, Darlington). This is Toyota’s first pole at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 Progressive Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Can you talk us through your qualifying lap?
“We were able to, very similarly to last week, make some great adjustments from where we were in practice – and again, there is so much that is different from practice to qualifying when you are going for one lap – air pressures at a track like this is dramatically different, certainly, the intensity from which I drive is a lot different in practice than qualifying. They gave me all of the adjustments that I needed to have a really good handling car there and we were able to capitalize on it.”
Could you tell much of a difference with this tire?
“It wasn’t a ton different, truthfully. Obviously, the stagger was the biggest thing that changed in this tire, or this combination coming to this track, but truthfully, over the last year, the teams offset that difference with their setups, and I feel as though, I couldn’t have told you one way over the another. It was not as dramatic as some of the tire changes that we’ve had at other race tracks.”
Do you have a pole goal like you have a race win goal?
“I don’t. It seems like more than I’ve actually had, but if you do this long enough, your odds will go up to have more. I couldn’t tell you where 10th is or fifth is, or anything like that, but it certainly is a statistical category that they will keep track of when they are listing your career accomplishments, so I appreciate moving that tally up.”
About Toyota
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