Everything is set for Denny Hamlin to shed the title of the best NASCAR driver who has never won a championship. Hamlin, in his 20th season, won the pole position at Phoenix Raceway in the NASCAR championship finale. The Cup will be awarded to the driver who finishes highest among Hamlin, his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Chase Briscoe, and William Byron and Kyle Larson, of Hendrick Motorsports. Hamlin will lead the final race of a season in which he won six races, his victory in Las Vegas last month was the 60th of his career. That victory secured him in the final with three weeks to prepare, his car and mentality, and it has him relaxed before the most important race of his life.
The driver has been treating the week like any other in Phoenix. There isn’t much difference, apart from the fact that there are more people. Hamlin has a group of about 30 friends and family who share three rental houses in the Phoenix area. After Hamlin set a lap at 133.759 mph in his Toyota to take the pole position, a luxury that gives him the first garage choice, something that could curb his propensity for speeding penalties, the Hamlin-favoring crowd must be delighted with his chances. However, it could also be at its best 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 busy.
Hamlin
The championship has been lost at least six other times, so it’s not far-fetched to think that their luck could change on Sunday.No problem!
Hamlin
Larson is the only driver in the championship field with a title, while Byron, two-time reigning Daytona 500 winner, returns to the final four for the third consecutive year. Briscoe makes 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 field for the first time since 2021. Byron qualified second at 133.551 and Larson third at 133.437 in their Chevrolets. Briscoe finished 12th, the lowest of the title contenders, at 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.
Hamlin
I felt that, honestly, it was a really bad lap that I did. I was a bit surprised that it was even 12th to some extent.
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 achieved it. Hamlin spun in the 2010 final, had a bad pit stop in 2014, overheated because the team put too much tape on the front grill in 2019, and then strategy or lack of speed cost him in 2020 and 2021.
He has become the likable 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 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, it were the best he’s ever won, wouldn’t it? I think everyone knows he’s more than capable.
Briscoe
Hamlin comes to the championship race after an off-season crew chief change 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 advanced a car to the final four for the first time in his career, and could now be the team boss who finally leads Hamlin to a title.I want Denny to win just so he can have that on his resume.
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, died. 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. It’s not necessarily anything for me to go in and get it for Denny. Would it be extra sweet with Denny just because I know what he’s been through and he’s been close? Yes. I don’t know if that changes anything.
Gayle
