Hamlin Still Motivated In Chasing Elusive Cup Title

HAMPTON, Ga. – Denny Hamlin has accomplished almost all that one could dream of when it comes to his 20-year career in the NASCAR Cup Series.

However, he enters the postseason once again looking to capture the biggest prize in the sport, his long-awaited first Cup Series championship.

Three Daytona 500 victories, 54 career Cup Series wins (and counting), a Coca-Cola 600 trophy and three Southern 500s all headline his likely first-ballot NASCAR Hall of Fame resume.

However, the one thing that he doesn’t have on his plate is a title. Through 18 full-time seasons on the Cup Series circuit, Hamlin has come close multiple times, but has come short of grabbing the final ring.

He’s as confident as ever, though, going into his 11th straight playoff run in the elimination era.

“I feel like our chances are as good as anyone,” Hamlin said during NASCAR Playoff Media Day on Wednesday. “Now, I would say that Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell, and Kyle Larson have a better chance because they have more points going into the playoffs. But, ultimately, we’re one of the very few cars that can win any given week.

“No matter what points position we might find ourselves in, we will be in a precarious points position at some point in the playoffs. But we always feel like we can go to the next track and win, and that’s something that only a few cars can do.”

Hamlin burst onto the scene quickly to begin this year, after winning on a pair of short tracks in Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and Richmond (Va.) Raceway.

He followed up with a win at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway in May, but since then, the 43-year-old hasn’t found victory lane even though he’s managed to stay well afloat in the standings.

Hamlin has earned eight top 10s since his last victory and has led 917 laps overall this season. Notably, Hamlin’s No. 11 team has overcome hardships during the process as well.

During the month of June, they had three straight weeks from Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway to New Hampshire Motor Speedway where they failed to finish inside the top 20. Then, to top it off, Hamlin and crew received an engine inspection penalty.

Toyota Racing Development inadvertantly dismantled the engine from Hamlin’s Bristol win before it was inspected by NASCAR. Although TRD admitted it was a procedural mistake, the team was still hit with an L2 penalty. They were notably docked 75 regular season points, taking Hamlin out of the regular season championship battle and relegating him to sixth in the standings, as well as 10 crucial playoff points.

When asked if the punishment has invigorated his team, Hamlin remained cautiously optimistic.

“I think it will if it has a positive outcome. I really can’t honestly say that it was something that we rallied around,” he noted. “It took away 15 points when you add it all up in the regular season. That’s 15 points every round that we lost.

“That’s something that’s really going to be hard to overcome, but we can do it. I know that we can,” he added. “So, that’s the good news. If we are able to find ourselves making it through these first two, three rounds and have a shot at Phoenix, then that’s going to be a very rewarding feeling.

“If there’s ever a year to win it, do it when there’s the most adversity on the line.”

However, in order to get there, Hamlin may have to go through a product of his own.

The No. 45 Toyota Camry XSE, fielded by the team Hamlin co-owns in 23XI Racing, won the regular season championship, and his driver Tyler Reddick is putting together the best season of his Cup Series career to date.

It’s a good problem to have as a driver and team owner – almost.

“I’m rooting for them to make the final four and lose to me by finishing second. That’s what I really want,” Hamlin admitted. “But I can tell you with honesty, I would be just as happy with an owner’s championship this year as I would be with a driver[‘s title].

“I know how much it took and how much it takes to win a championship in NASCAR – I’ve been in the sport long enough. I know that I had my hands in every part of that race car – it would be hugely gratifying for myself.”

Hamlin thinks his chances are greater for a championship with his own success, but also with Reddick’s career year.

“If anything, I feel like my chances are doubled this year. While Tyler made it last year, they had too many chinks in the armor, speed wise – at some tracks – to really truly contend,” Hamlin added.

“I knew [on] the short tracks were going to have issues, but I feel like they have gotten better on all of those, so they are going to be a viable contender.”

The quest for Hamlin’s long-awaited championship begins this weekend at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway. The Chesterfield, Va., native hasn’t found victory lane at Atlanta since 2012, and since its reconfiguration has just two top 10s in seven races.

But with a little bit of everything on the menu for track types in the Round of 16, Hamlin made his team’s intentions clear: survive Atlanta and then go from there.

The new trademark of racing at AMD is unpredictability, with superspeedway-style racing opening the floodgates for chaos.

“I haven’t finished a superspeedway Next Gen race, I don’t think, in my entire career,” Hamlin said.

“It’s just [a case of] who knows what can happen. We might have to go to the [Round of 16 cutoff race] at Bristol and win, but if that’s the case, we will.”

If Hamlin does go to Thunder Valley in a must-win situation, he’ll have a strong track record to lean on, with four career Bristol victories – including two straight and three of the last seven.

First up for Hamlin, however, is Atlanta’s Quaker State 400 available at Walmart, slated for Sunday, Sept. 8. Broadcast coverage begins at 3 p.m. ET, live on USA, the Performance Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.