Having raced for 18 full seasons leading into 2024, securing 51 solid wins including victories at the Coca-Cola 600, Daytona 500, and the Southern 500, a Hall of Fame-worthy career, and yet, a piece is still missing from Denny Hamlin’s story. And that missing piece is a championship. Be it in the Cup Series where he has been a championship threat before, or in the Craftsman Truck Series and the Xfinity Series, this veteran racer has just not been able to bag the titular win.
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Back in 2005 and 2006, Hamlin came the closest to winning an Xfinity Series championship, recording an overall 4th and 5th place finish on points, leading 177 and 595 laps, respectively. But that was the best he has done to this day. Despite having 18 Xfinity Series race wins to his credit, the Joe Gibbs Racing sensation has never won a championship title.
Moving over to the Truck Series side of things, Hamlin’s records fall even further below. The best he could do championship-wise was to rank 37th in 2004. Throughout a 9-year stint in the Truck Series, Hamlin was able to amass a pair of wins, both of which came at Martinsville.
Is it too late for the Pied Piper of Pocono?
Realistically speaking, NASCAR is a sport that demands top-notch fitness of the mind and the body. Each season is a body of work and therefore, a constant grind to win the Championship title. Now the question is, is time running out for the Toyota driver?
Well, Hamlin is a 43-year-old man. He is not in his late twenties or early thirties. Hence, he cannot just miss a shot at the championship and pretend like there would be several opportunities for him in the future to ace the Championship four race. However, there is a silver lining for his fans.
The great Dale Earnhardt won his seventh and last championship at the ripe age of 43. Even veteran racer Bobby Allison of the Alabama Group won the 1983 Winston Cup Series championship at 45. On that note, there is no reason Hamlin cannot win a championship at 43. Moreover, Hamlin has kept himself in good shape even at this age. So if anyone can rock the stage even in his 50s, it’s perhaps Denny Hamlin.
