As the NASCAR Cup Series prepares for its next race at the Pocono Raceway, only six races remain for the doors to close on the regular season. Hendrick Motorsports star driver Kyle Larson tops the points table and is in prime position to win the 15 playoff points that come with being the regular season champion. However, an upset from those below cannot be ruled out yet.
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Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin is currently in fourth place on the table with a 42-point deficit to the leader. While filling this gap is easier said than done it isn’t a feat that can be categorized as impossible. That said, a lot of things that are out of Hamlin’s control do have to fall in the right places for the climb to have a chance. And the championshipless driver is only too well aware of this.
He said to the press at Pocono of his chances of topping Larson and the rest, “I think unless they have problems, it’ll be tough. But, everyone is struggling to find consistency, right? We were as consistent as anyone for five weeks and now have had five weeks the exact opposite. So, we’ll need help for sure and we’ll need to be as good as we were two months ago.”
Hamlin hasn’t finished a race inside the top 10 since Gateway in early June. The turn of the table was rather abrupt for he had continually brought in top-5 finishes and a win in the preceding five races. He will be hoping for a similar turn in the coming weeks. “It’s very, very possible, but you’re going to need a few stubbed toes here and there,” he concluded.
Can Hamlin win at the Pocono Raceway on Sunday?
Since his debut in 2005, Hamlin has won seven races at the Tricky Triangle. The 2.5-mile race track is one of his best venues and he is a prime favorite to win the upcoming fixture. He bypassed NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon as the track’s most successful driver when he secured his seventh win last year. Making the count eight will prove to reap him a long list of benefits.
He will be starting the 160-lap race from fourth place and will be looking for the 55th Cup Series win of his career. The event is set to kick off at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, July 14. Larson’s teammate Chase Elliott (-11 points) and 23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick (-23 points) sit between Hamlin and Larson on the table.
