Denny Hamlin seems to back Richard Childress Racing’s call to bring in veteran crew chief Jim Pohlman. The only catch, Pohlman has yet to turn a wrench in the Cup Series’ Next Gen era. Still, like Kyle Busch and the RCR brass, Hamlin believes the move could be the shake-up Busch needs.
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On the latest episode of his podcast, Hamlin said, Pohlman might have probably the best option they they could get. But Hamlin was elated to see some of these crew chiefs getting the call up to the cup series. Even the 23XI Racing got Charles Denike from the #19 truck last year and putting him on the #23 this year with no cup experience whatsoever.
After three seasons of Next Gen racing, Hamlin no longer sees much of an edge for anyone. But he values the fresh perspective. “Maybe it’s just a fresh set of eyes. I like that RCR is hiring out of the company versus promoting someone. More than likely, if someone was really really good within the shop, their cars will be running better…”
“Maybe he can come up with something to where why aren’t you guys looking at Y versus X? Hopefully it gets Kyle Bush the performance jump that he’s looking for,” Hamlin stated.
Pohlman’s previous work experinece shows his skills. He guided JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier to his first NASCAR Xfinity Series championship last year at Phoenix and turned the No. 7 team into a title threat since taking over in 2023. Before that, he helmed RCR’s research and development program, playing a role in the creation of the very Cup car Busch has struggled to tame.
Busch, meanwhile, has long praised JR Motorsports’ strong equipment but admits Pohlman’s arrival took the team to another level. That’s why he’s optimistic that Pohlman’s return to RCR could breathe new life into not just the No. 8 team, but the entire organization.
