In the Avondale, Arizona circuit, Denny Hamlin is in a privileged position to break the streak and finally obtain the NASCAR title that would consecrate him as champion. Hamlin, in his twentieth full season, secured the pole position at Phoenix Raceway for the NASCAR championship final. The Cup will be contested between Hamlin, his teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing, Chase Briscoe, and William Byron and Kyle Larson, both from Hendrick Motorsports. Hamlin will lead the final race of a season in which he obtained six victories, the most, including his triumph in Las Vegas last month, which marked his 60th career victory. This victory secured him a place in the final, with three weeks to prepare, both in his car and mentally, which has kept him relaxed and joking before the most important race of his life.
Hamlin has remained calm, treating it like any other week in Phoenix, although he acknowledges the presence of more people than usual. He has a group of about 30 friends and family sharing three rental houses in the area. After Hamlin set a time of 133.759 mph in his Toyota, securing the first starting position, which gives him the first choice of pit stall, something that could reduce his propensity for speeding penalties, Hamlin’s fans have reason to be optimistic. However, there is a possibility that it is peaking too early in the weekend.I think the benefit was winning in Las Vegas because I was able to get a lot of work done before this week. That way, this week isn’t as tight.
Denny Hamlin
Hamlin has lost the championship at least six times, so it’s not far-fetched to think that his luck could change on Sunday.No problem!
Denny Hamlin
Larson is the only driver in the final who already has a title, while Byron, two-time Daytona 500 winner, returns to the final for the third consecutive year. Briscoe will make his debut in the title race, and Hamlin, three-time Daytona 500 winner, considered the best NASCAR driver who has never won a championship, returns to the final for the first time since 2021. Byron qualified second with 133.551 and Larson third with 133.437 in their Chevrolets. Briscoe finished in 12th place, the lowest of the title contenders, with 132.680.You can only help the things you can control. Obviously, we will do our best for 312 laps. I hope it will be enough.
Denny Hamlin
I felt that, honestly, it was a really bad lap that I did. I was a little surprised that it was even 12th, to some extent.
Chase Briscoe
This is at least the sixth time in Hamlin’s career that he has had the opportunity to win the championship, and so far, he has not succeeded. In the 2010 final, Hamlin spun out, had a bad pit stop in 2014, overheated because the team put too much tape on the front grille in 2019, and then strategy or lack of speed cost him in 2020 and 2021.
Hamlin has become the likeable favorite to win on Sunday, and even his competitors have acknowledged that a Hamlin championship would be well-received.Everyone likes a story like that, where someone is near the end of their career, all that, I can see why people would root for it. Obviously, I want to win. But it would be great to see someone who has dedicated so much time to this sport and has been so close so many times. Sixty wins. I’m going to want to beat him tomorrow, but it’s not going to kill me if he wins.
Kyle Larson
I think it would be a shame, wouldn’t it?, if when he decides to hang it up, he were the best of all time who has never won, right? I think everyone knows he’s more than capable.
Chase BriscoeHamlin comes to the championship race after a crew chief change in the offseason that he opposed. Joe Gibbs Racing was going to lose crew chief Chris Gayle if they didn’t move him, so he was assigned to Hamlin while Chris Gabehart was moved to management. Hamlin didn’t want to lose Gabehart, the crew chief who has brought out the best in Hamlin in these last years of his career, and openly criticized the decision. But Gayle adapted quickly, has taken a car to the final for the first time in his career, and could now be the team boss who finally leads Hamlin to a title.Hamlin’s 60th victory tied him for 10th on the all-time wins list. He had been urgently pursuing the mark because it was his personal consolation prize for not having a Cup title and he wanted to do it before his father, who has a serious health problem, died. Hamlin said this week that he wants to win on Sunday because, “I know for sure that this is my last chance for my father to see it. I don’t want him to leave and never get to see the moment.”There are four really good cars, really good teams, really good team bosses. I just want to win the race and be the champion. It’s not necessarily something for me to come and give to Denny. Would it be extra sweet with Denny just because I know what he’s been through and has been close? Yes. I don’t know if that changes anything.
Chris Gayle
