Denny Hamlin has an awesome NASCAR Cup Series career. Just take a look:
–58 career wins
–245 top-5s (34 percent of his starts)
–371 top-10s (52 percent)
But there’s one big goose egg: Championships.
Denny Hamlin is hoping luck is on his side as he attempts to end his championship drought.
Hamlin has been part of the postseason 18 times. And 18 times he has come away with no championship. The car nor the format have not mattered when it comes to him conquering the point system at that given time.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver finished second in the standings in 2010. He was third in three others.
Since the elimination-style playoffs started in 2014, he has made them every time. He has made the semifinal round nine times and the championship round in four of those years.
So with four wins this year, is this the year?
“For 20 years, I’ve tried to give an explanation of why one year is different than another, but truthfully, they’re not different,” Hamlin said. “I’m running as fast as I’ve ever run. We’re winning as many races as anyone in the series.
“It’s just a matter whether the things we can’t control keep us from competing or not. Mistakes will be a big factor. Do I make any mistakes? I don’t know. It’s all yet to be seen. It’s can you execute? And if we execute at the left-turn [non-road-course] tracks, we’re quick sufficient to go all the way in which.”
Hamlin enters the playoffs seeded third with a 23-point cushion on the present cutoff coming into the primary of the three three-race rounds the place wins permit a driver to advance and people winless with the fewest factors after three races are eradicated. Then within the championship race, the 4 finalists enter on equal footing with the most effective finisher successful the title.
“Yearly may very well be the yr for Denny,” mentioned shut good friend and 2021 Cup champion Kyle Larson. “He is such a menace yearly and in all places. He ran good at [championship race site] Phoenix earlier this yr — he hasn’t actually ran that nicely at Phoenix, I really feel like, in fairly a while.
“If I am unable to win it or one in all my teammates cannot win it, I might like to see him lastly recover from that hump and get a championship as a result of he deserves it. He is completed loads for the game.”
Denny Hamlin has received loads of instances in his profession, sadly, simply not within the championship race.
With the introduction of the Subsequent Gen automobile in 2021, the sector has appeared tighter with fewer dominant drivers. That was by design as all of the groups get the vast majority of their chassis and elements and items (besides engines) from the identical vendor.
“Every thing is just a bit bit nearer,” Hamlin mentioned. “Observe place means a bit extra. Qualifying means a bit bit extra. Playoff factors are unfold out among the many discipline, barely greater than what it has been up to now.
“If something, you are most likely the underside 4 guys proper now champing on the bit, understanding they’re solely 20-some factors out of the purpose lead. So I feel that it is vast open from that stance of the place you would have somebody very surprising make it to the ultimate 4.”
Hamlin mentioned he doesn’t need his crew chief, Chris Gayle, to vary any of the way in which he calls races. It’s the first yr Hamlin is working with Gayle, who has spent most of his profession with younger drivers in his automobile.
“We’ve bought as many wins as anybody,” Hamlin mentioned. “We’re not going to vary a lot, and I hope that he would not change his mindset going into these final 10 [races] as a result of I would like him to name the race and name the photographs freely.
“I will go this into this yr as free as I’ve ever gone. If we win, we win. If we do not, we do not. So long as I can win a couple of extra races earlier than the tip of the yr, it should be very profitable yr for the 11 workforce, and I will be proud of no matter consequence we get from that.”
What Hamlin was referring to was {that a} couple extra wins would get him to 60 for his profession, a benchmark that he needs to attain. This received’t be Hamlin’s final season as he just lately signed a two-year extension via 2027.
“If Denny received all of it, I would be tremendous comfortable for him,” mentioned his JGR teammate Chase Briscoe mentioned. “You do not win as many races as you do with out deserving to be a champion, and Denny, arguably, is the most effective of all time and not using a championship.”
Hamlin has received races in 19 of the final 20 years, and has received no less than thrice in every of the final three years. For the final 5 years, he has co-owned 23XI Racing with basketball legend Michael Jordan.
“I would not say something about this yr stands out as to why this yr can be extra so the yr over the others,” mentioned 23XI driver Tyler Reddick mentioned. “However for me, it is simply the truth that yr after yr, he is as robust as he’s — the place he’s within the common season, the place he’s within the win column.
“In the event you try this constantly yearly, you are going to hold placing your self within the place to battle for a championship.”
Tyler Reddick can be competing in opposition to boss Denny Hamlin for the 2025 championship.
The workforce possession hasn’t impacted his efficiency. And it doesn’t seem the continuing contentious antitrust lawsuit between 23XI and NASCAR has impacted Hamlin on the observe.
Relying on the ruling because of a listening to Thursday on whether or not 23XI can resume being a chartered workforce, Hamlin might face the chance that his drivers are free brokers as a result of he can’t present them a constitution.
That doesn’t imply they are going to depart, however Reddick is taken into account one of many prime younger skills within the sport, and different groups are able to make presents.
“I’ve bought to remain targeted on the playoffs and the races forward of us,” mentioned Reddick, one in all two winless drivers to make the playoffs on factors. “This has been a tricky yr, and it is actually going to be vital getting this playoffs began on the precise foot.
“I’m simply staying targeted on being within the 45 and making an attempt to place collectively first spherical that’ll hopefully get our momentum circled.”
Hamlin was succinct if he was apprehensive concerning the affect of the lawsuit on his driver and sponsor lineup.
“I’ve completely zero concern concerning the lawsuit,” he mentioned Wednesday, a day earlier than the listening to Thursday. “I do know the details.”
On the observe, the details are that he hasn’t received a championship. He has proven he has been one of many prime drivers this yr. So as soon as once more, is that this the yr? Hamlin wonders if his time will are available a yr the place he hasn’t run as nicely.
“I really feel like that might be the yr that we win — is the one the place we get fortunate and get to the ultimate 4 and win,” Hamlin mentioned. “We’ve been so assured for the final couple many years with our velocity and the racetracks and the way it units up for us
“However in the end, the velocity at instances hasn’t mattered due to the execution. Perhaps one time — one time — we’ll get fortunate.
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports activities. He has spent many years overlaying motorsports, together with over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting Information, NASCAR Scene journal and The (Daytona Seashore) Information-Journal. Comply with him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
What did you consider this story?
advisable
Get more from the NASCAR Cup Series Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
