Not a lot of people were truly surprised with Denny Hamlin advancing to the Cup Series Round of 12 through a fourth-place finish in Bristol. The Joe Gibbs Racing superstar is a championship contender in his DNA and it was natural that he would progress. As he prepares for his next set of challenges, former racer Kyle Petty has expressed strong admiration for his recent performance.
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He told NASCAR in a review of the Bristol Night Race, “Denny freaking Hamlin. That’s what it was all about … They had to make something happen after the first two poor performances in this round. He went out, got his stage points in Stage 1, got his stage points in Stage 2, and did what he needed to do. That is what a champion team does and that is what a champion does.”
The poor performances that Petty talked about were in Atlanta and Watkins Glen. Bad strategies turned villain for the No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE team in these venues and put Hamlin six points below the 12-driver elimination line. His comeback in Bristol was fortunately enough to catapult him 10 points above it. For Round 2, he will next visit the Kansas Speedway this weekend.
Races at Talladega and the Charlotte Roval will then follow to close out the stage. Unless something unusual plays out, he is certain to qualify for Round 3. But what’s to happen post that? Hamlin has been there and left without being crowned champion. He has been a part of the Championship 4 four times since 2014. That’s a record in the current era of Cup Series racing.
Does the number of wins matter more than a championship to Hamlin?
Hamlin is often referred to as the best driver ever without a championship. And he gives in to that referral. He told the press in a recent conference, “I care about wins and winning every single week because in the end I absolutely would take 60-some wins and no championship over 20 wins and one championship. It’s just not even close.”
He even went as far as mentioning that drivers who are nowhere near his caliber have won the championship. Watching such scenarios play out has perhaps reduced the stature of the title in his mind. But all said and done, a championship is a championship and Hamlin’s resume desperately needs one.
As Petty rightly said, he is in “championship mode” right now like never before. Only a handful of races are left and he is – yet again – one of the favorites to reach the Championship 4 and get his hands on the coveted trophy.
