Hamlin on the Pole: Seeks his first NASCAR title in the final

Hamlin Seeks to Crown His Career in the NASCAR Final

Everything is set for Denny Hamlin, in his twentieth full season, to be free of the title of best NASCAR driver without a championship. Hamlin, who won the pole position at Phoenix Raceway, will compete in the NASCAR final, where the champion will be the driver with the best position among Hamlin, his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, 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 in the series, including his victory in Las Vegas, which was the number 60 of his career. That victory secured him in the final with three weeks to prepare, both his car and his mentality, which has allowed him to face the biggest race of his life with calm and humor.

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 so busy.

Denny Hamlin

Hamlin has expressed that he is treating the week like any other in Phoenix. He has a group of about 30 friends and family who share three rental houses in the area. After Hamlin set a lap at 133.759 mph in his Toyota, earning the top spot, which gives him the first choice of pit stall, something that could reduce his propensity for speeding penalties, the Hamlin-favoring fanbase should be optimistic. However, there is a possibility that you are peaking too early in the weekend.

No problem!

Denny Hamlin

Hamlin has lost the championship at least six other times, so it’s not unreasonable to think his luck could change on Sunday.

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

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.

I feel like, honestly, it was a really bad lap that I did. I was a little surprised that it was even 12th to a certain 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 has not been successful. Hamlin spun in the 2010 final, a bad pit stop in 2014, overheated in 2019, and strategy or lack of speed cost him in 2020 and 2021.

Hamlin has become the favorite, and even his competitors have acknowledged 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 kick his butt, but it won’t 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, it was the best he’s ever won, right? I think everyone knows he’s more than capable.

Chase 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 get it for 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

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.”