Denny Hamlin: ‘Fords are really strong on short tracks’

While Denny Hamlin has three wins on NASCAR short tracks this season, four depending on how you categorize Dover with its high banks and speeds. However, Hamlin has noticed something in the last few short-track races, the Fords.

Ryan Blaney got the job done at Iowa Speedway. It is no coincidence that he was set to win at Gateway until that fuel error left him without gas as he took the white flag. His teammate Austin Cindric was right there to win in Illinois, though.

Joey Logano won the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro. Given the last few short track races, Denny Hamlin has noticed the Fords are very strong on the mile and 3/4-mile tracks.

“One thing that is kinda catching my attention is the Fords are really strong on these short tracks,” Hamlin said on his Actions Detrimental podcast. “I thought it was just kind of an older pavement, mechanical grip thing that they had hit on. But clearly these three-quarter mile tracks and one-mile tracks, they certainly got some speed.

Not only did Blaney win at Iowa, four Fords finished in the top-10 in total. At Gateway, it was four more Fords in the top-10 including the Cindric victory. Same story with Logano’s win at North Wilkesboro. More importantly, Ford had five in the top-10 at Phoenix early this season, although Christopher Bell won the race.