Since entering the sport as a rookie in 2006, Denny Hamlin has consistently proven himself to be a driver of the highest caliber. The level of competitiveness that he brings to the table became evident from a stat that came to light after the 2024 Cup Series regular season’s final race in Darlington. He is now the only driver to have qualified for the playoffs in every season since 2014.
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The 2X Cup Series champion Kyle Busch had the opportunity to match him in this spot but he failed to make a mark. Hamlin’s record before the current playoff format was introduced in 2014 is equally impressive. Since going full-time in 2006, he failed to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup only once (2013). And the reason he stumbled that year was an unfortunate accident.
A last-lap wreck with teammate Joey Logano at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana had left him with a fractured vertebra. He missed four weeks of the season to recover and still bravely maintained that he’d come back and make it into the Chase. Unfortunately, his results weren’t of their usual standard when he came back. Many voices came up asking him to take the season off.
However, he continued racing through the remainder of the season and finally finished 23rd in points. He also won the season finale at Homestead-Miami. Except for that year, he ranked between second and ninth six times in his first seven full-time seasons. He was ranked 12th in 2007 but was a part of the Chase nevertheless.
Denny Hamlin’s feud with Kyle Petty in 2013
Despite his injury and subsequent drop in performance during the 2013 season, Hamlin had been confident of picking himself up again. But DNFs and multiple results outside the top 30 didn’t exactly instil confidence in people. One of those who lost trust in him was the former racer Kyle Petty.
He said on NASCAR RaceDay, “He’s [Hamlin] not relevant to the sport right now as far as the Chase and what’s going on in the Chase and winning the championship. He can win the next four or five races, but it’s not going to change the championship this year, and it’s not going to change the Chase.”
He suggested that the driver take the season off to recover completely. Hamlin, being who he is, took the words in a negative light. He wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Kyle Petty is a moron,” and went on to seethe at him for not spending time in the garage.
