Hamlin Seeks to Crown His Career in the NASCAR Final
Everything is set for Denny Hamlin, one of NASCAR’s most prominent drivers, but still without a championship, to try to break that streak in the season finale. In his twentieth full season, Hamlin secured the pole position at Phoenix Raceway for the final NASCAR race, where the winner takes all. 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 grid in the final race of a season in which he earned six victories, the most in the series, including his triumph in Las Vegas last month, which marked his 60th career win. That victory secured him in the final, giving him three weeks to prepare, both in his car and mentally, and has found him relaxed and joking before the most important race of his life.Hamlin has remained calm, treating the week like any other in Phoenix, although he acknowledges that there are more people present. He has a group of about 30 friends and family sharing three rental houses in the Phoenix area. After Hamlin set a lap at 133.759 mph in his Toyota, securing the pole position, an advantage that gives him the first pit stall choice, a selection that could help reduce his speeding penalties, Hamlin’s fans have reason to be optimistic. However, there is a possibility that he is peaking too early in the weekend. Hamlin, who has lost the championship on at least six previous occasions, joked about the situation. “You can only control the things you can control,” he stated. “Obviously, we’ll do the best we can for 312 laps. I hope it’s enough.” 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 and Larson finished second and third, respectively, while Briscoe finished 12th.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 busy.
Denny Hamlin
I feel like, honestly, it was a really bad lap that I did. I was a little surprised to even be in 12th to some extent.
Chase Briscoe
This is at least the sixth time in Hamlin’s career that he has the opportunity to win the championship, and so far, he hasn’t achieved it. Hamlin struggled in the 2010 final, had a bad pit stop in 2014, overheated in 2019 due to excessive tape on the front grille, and strategy or lack of speed cost him in 2020 and 2021.
Hamlin has become the favorite, and his competitors recognize that a championship for Hamlin would be well-received.Briscoe added: “I think it would be a shame, wouldn’t it?, that when he decides to retire, he’s the best who has never won, right? I think everyone knows he’s more than capable. I want Denny to win so he can have that on his resume.” Hamlin 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 the 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 crew chief who finally leads Hamlin to a title.Everyone likes a story like that, someone nearing the end of their career, and all that, I can see why people would root for him,” Larson said. “Obviously, I want to win. But it would be cool to see someone who has dedicated so much time to this sport and has been so close so many times. Sixty wins. Tomorrow I’m going to want to kick his butt, but it won’t kill me if he wins.”
Kyle Larson
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 stated 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 champion,” Gayle said. “It’s not necessarily something for me to come and give it to Denny. Would it be sweeter 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
