Denny Hamlin is off to a great start in the ongoing Cup Series season, grabbing two victories already in the first nine races. His masterclass in Bristol and Richmond echoed his shot at winning the championship. As if that weren’t enough to hoist up his flag, Hamlin has now joined an elite eight driver NASCAR list.
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The list is of the drivers who have led in 13 or more consecutive races more than once in their careers. The Joe Gibbs Racing star has led in each of the last 13 Cup Series races, a streak that he has already achieved once before. This repeat makes him the 8th name on the list – below the likes of Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon.
Others on the list are Bobby Allison, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Richard Petty, and David Pearson. Amongst these 8 drivers, Allison is the top dog having led 39 straight races. His streak came between September 6, 1971 and October 8, 1972. Those particular times were incredibly kind to the Alabama Gang member as he collected 11 wins in 1971 and 10 wins the following year.
Next best to Allison is Yarborough with a 25-race streak. Neither of these driver’s streaks are under any threat in the immediate vicinity. Despite Hamlin’s experience-driven dominance over today’s drivers, it will take quite the number of races and consistency from him to go anywhere close to the record of the yesteryear legends.
Can Denny Hamlin extend his streak to 14 races in the Talladega Superspeedway?
While 39 is a daunting number from where Hamlin stands, 14 isn’t. His next race is at the fastest track on the calendar, the Talladega Superspeedway. He finished 3rd in last October’s race there and has won twice (In 2014 and 2020). In the Next Gen car, Hamlin has 2 top five finishes. From a larger viewing scope, he has an overall 5 victories on superspeedway in his entire career. Three of those were at the Daytona International Speedway.
Judging from his previous runs, it cannot be ascertained that Hamlin will lead at some point during the upcoming event. However, this season is one of new demands for him. He has failed to find a way to be called a NASCAR champion for 18 seasons and now is as good as any other time for him to pick himself up. He will hopefully display consistency regardless of past performances and extend his streak to 14 races.
