Hamlin Seeks to Crown His Career in the NASCAR Final
Everything is set for Denny Hamlin to shed the label of the best NASCAR driver without a championship. In his twentieth full season, Hamlin secured the pole position at Phoenix Raceway, in the NASCAR final, where the winner takes it all. The Cup title will be decided between Hamlin, his teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing, Chase Briscoe, William Byron and Kyle Larson of 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 the win in Las Vegas last month, the 60th of his career. That victory secured him in the final with three weeks to prepare, both in his car and in his mindset, allowing him to face the most important race of his life with tranquility and good humor.Hamlin has expressed that he is treating the week like any other in Phoenix. He has a group of about 30 friends and family sharing three rental houses in the area. After Hamlin set a lap at 133.759 mph in his Toyota, securing the first starting position, giving him the first choice of pit stall, a selection that could reduce his propensity for speeding penalties, the pro-Hamlin fanbase has reason to be optimistic. However, there is a chance that it’s peaking too early in the weekend. Hamlin has lost the championship at least six times, so it’s not far-fetched to think that his luck could change on Sunday.I think the advantage 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.
Hamlin
Larson is the only driver in the final who 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 in 12th place.You can only control the things you can control. Obviously, we will do our best during 312 laps. I hope it will be enough.
Hamlin
I feel that, honestly, it was a very bad lap that I did. I was a little surprised that it was even 12th.
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 has accumulated a history of setbacks in the finals, from a spin in 2010 to problems in pit stops and failed strategies.
Hamlin has become the likable favorite to win on Sunday, and even his competitors have acknowledged that a Hamlin championship would be well-received.Briscoe added:Everyone likes a story like that, where someone is nearing the end of their career, and all that, I can see why people would root for it.
Larson
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 team leader 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 advanced 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.I think it would be a shame, wouldn’t it?, if when he decides to hang it up, it were the best he’s ever won, wouldn’t it? I think everyone knows he’s more than capable.
Briscoe
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, passed away. Hamlin said 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.
Gayle
