Jackman’s Slick Technique Earns Denny Hamlin Race-Winning Pit Stop

DARLINGTON, S.C. — From the grandstands to the media center, from the broadcast booth to the garages, everybody had William Byron as the winner of Sunday’s (April 6) NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway after he stomped the field by leading the first 243 laps of the 293-lap event.

But on a pit road that had WiFi issues all day, that message wasn’t received by the crew of Denny Hamlin.

In what was the final stop of the 400-mile event before an overtime restart, Hamlin’s pit crew performed a blistering 8.3-second pit stop that won him the race off pit road and subsequently the race win.

And all the credit seems to be on some smooth moves made by the team’s jackman and former Green Bay Packer Joel Bouagnon, who swung the jack around in an outward direction while running around the nose of the car so it would land perfectly under the driver’s door panel during a 4-tire pit stop.

I know that I've been singing their praises all week but that was a clutch pit stop from the No. 11 @JoeGibbsRacing pit crew of @dennyhamlin.

They completed a four tire change in right around 8.3 seconds.

Setting an example of what it's like to perform under pressure. pic.twitter.com/KtaJ0XfvrP

— Bozi Tatarevic (@BoziTatarevic) April 6, 2025

While it may seem like a subtle technique that only shaves tenths of a second off a pit stop, that can be the difference between first and second in a late-race NASCAR caution flag, and it took Bouagnon months to master.

“It’s definitely our pit crew,” Bouagnon told Frontstretch. “It’s our entire squad. It takes so many people to execute a pit stop perfectly. … It took I’d say every bit of the offseason [to master], but pit road is a place where Murphy’s Law is very real, and it’s just forever evolving.”

The story was being set late in the final stage. After race dominator Byron pitted in the middle of a green flag pit stop, the lead was relinquished to Tyler Reddick. The No. 45 Toyota had a strong lead of nearly six seconds in the waning moments of the event. However, Ryan Blaney, who had fresher tires, chased down Reddick and passed the 23XI Racing driver for the lead with only four laps to go.

Only feet behind him, however, was a spinning Kyle Larson that caused the event’s final and overtime-inducing caution.

Hamlin was third, and with the Lady in Black shredding tires all day, everyone knew new tires, and with it one more pit stop, were a necessity.

Bouagnon and crew were ready.

“Our crew, we want a situation like that,” Bouagnon said. “Like that’s the best, most high stressful situation you can be in a race, and that’s exactly like what we live for and what we trained for.”

Upon entering the pit box, the No. 11 crew, which is comprised of former athletes of various national sporting leagues, went to work. Jackman Bouagnon had been practicing his swing technique for months, and it was about to pay off in the most high-pressure situation.

“You could do it out in, you can do it out of practice a million times, and you’re good,” Bouagnon said. “Then you get to pit road, and it’s just like bullets start flying. There’s literally cars flying by. Brake dust is introduced. Heat’s introduced. You can’t hear anything. Just the whole world gets turned upside down. To do it in that atmosphere, and then take your top drivers, take the entire race on the line, and it’s going to come down to you. The amount of pressure it is. Some people either run from it, or some crews, they’re just salivating at it.

“Our crew, we’re so hungry for moments like that.”

When Hamlin exited pit road, he cleared the other two Byron and Reddick. His pit crew knew that was probably the end of it.

“You just lose it,” Bouagnon said. “Especially in that scenario because you know that’s likely going to be the win.

“We did our job. We put it back in the driver’s hands, and we gave him the best chance at winning. That’s the moment we’re extremely happy, and then for the restart, you’re just holding on, you’re like, ‘Please just get it. Please just get it.'”

Hamlin did get it. He cleared the rest of the field and sailed into his second consecutive win and fifth at Darlington.

“It’s still not perfect,” Bouagnon said. “But working at it every day, every weekend, every day of practice, the answer of like how long it takes is still unknown. It takes a while. It’s taken an offseason and in this entire season so far.”

It may not be perfect according to the jackman, but it’s already won them a race.

And it’s only week eight.