Hamlin on the Pole for the NASCAR Final: Will He Win the Title?

Hamlin Seeks to Crown His Career in the NASCAR Final

Denny Hamlin, in his twentieth full season, is about to shed the label of the best NASCAR driver without a championship. Hamlin secured the pole position at Phoenix Raceway, preparing for the final where he will compete for the title. The Cup champion will be decided between Hamlin, his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, 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, giving him three weeks to prepare.

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 busy.

Hamlin

The driver has remained calm and humorous in the pre-race of the most important race of his life. In addition, he has the support of a large group of friends and family who share several rental houses in the Phoenix area. Hamlin, driving his Toyota, clocked a time of 133.759 mph, securing the first starting position. This gives him the advantage of choosing the pit box, a decision that could help avoid speeding penalties. However, there is a possibility that he may peak too soon. Hamlin, who has lost the championship on at least six previous occasions, seeks to change his luck this Sunday.

You can only control the things you can control. Obviously, we will do our best for 312 laps. I hope it will be enough.

Hamlin

Larson is the only driver in the group with a title, while Byron, a two-time Daytona 500 winner, is competing in the final for the third consecutive year. Briscoe will make his debut in the title race, and Hamlin, a three-time Daytona 500 winner, returns to the final for the first time since 2021. Byron and Larson qualified in second and third place, respectively. Briscoe, for his part, finished 12th, the lowest among the title contenders.

I feel that, honestly, it was a very bad lap that I did. I was a little surprised that it was even 12th to some extent.

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 has not been successful. Hamlin has become the favorite, and his competitors recognize that a Hamlin championship would be well received.

Everyone likes a story like that, where someone is nearing the end of their career, all that, I can see why people would root for him. 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. Tomorrow I’m going to want to beat him badly, but it won’t kill me if he wins.

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.

Briscoe

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 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.

There are four very good cars, very good teams, very 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.

Gayle

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 he desperately wants to win on Sunday because, “I know for a fact 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.”