With more than 50 wins and still counting, two Daytona victories, there is no denying that Denny Hamlin is the future Hall of Fame inductee. His achievements are not only restricted to the stables of Joe Gibbs Racing and his No. 11 team but also the 23XI Racing team that he co-owns with Michael Jordan.
However, the only blotch in his spectacular resume was the absence of a championship trophy. The driver has received more than his fair share of chances of winning the championship, but the driver has faltered at the last step. Nevertheless, Hamlin began the 2023 season on a high note, but will he be able to translate it to the finals? Well, the former Cup Series champion thinks it is a possibility, as he delivered his ultimatum to Hamlin’s winning momentum.
NASCAR veteran delivers his verdict on Denny Hamlin’s championship contention
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Denny Hamlin, the amalgamation of a fast car with indomitable spirit and grit, has been able to fend off any potential threat that stood between him and his playoff hopes. To concretize his championship hopes, the No. 11 Toyota driver clinched a victory on the ‘World’s Fastest Half Mile’ track in Bristol. He outdueled his own teammate Christopher Bell, led a total of 131 laps, and finished 2.4 seconds ahead of Kyle Larson.
With more than his fair share of victories in the ongoing season, the only conclusion that awaits Hamlin is lifting the championship trophy in Phoenix in November. Furthermore, this year will be a decisive factor for the driver, given he would be the second-most oldest driver after Martin Truex Jr. and after the retirement of Kevin Harvick and the question of retirement looms.
Even NASCAR veteran Kyle Petty asserted that the ongoing season will set the stage for the future path of Denny Hamlin. In a conversation with Parker Kligerman of NBC, the veteran expressed, “To be honest choke. How many times have we seen it year after year but the Denny Hamlin that stepped out of those cars is not the Denny Hamlin that steps out today. He does have that swagger, why this confidence at this age at this point? Maybe the 50-plus wins maybe all of the stuff that he has done with 23XI.”
“He has shown himself in some ways that I can branch out and be more than just who I was, I can be somebody different but he has changed. I honestly believe watching him walk through the garage and listening to him talk, listening to his podcast, he has changed and it’s not about anybody else this year but Denny Hamlin. In his mind, it’s about Denny Hamlin.”
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“Who did I beat, I beat everybody, and that’s what he has to do. He has become the Denny Hamlin that can beat everybody and it’s phenomenal to watch this transition. Listen if he doesn’t win this year go ahead and mark it down, he’s never gonna win because he is in that place where he can take it all this year and take it big,” Petty concluded.
Denny Hamlin asserts the dominance of the No.11 team
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The emphatic victory in Bristol was all the impulsion that Denny Hamlin required to regain his faith and set his hopes ablaze. His proclamation on the track to his cynics after receiving hatred only asserts his ongoing dominance.
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In his post-race interview with NBC, Hamlin affirmed, “It’s our year, I just feel like we’ve got it all put together. We’ve got the speed, every single type of racetrack.”
“I don’t think I’ve been any better. I don’t think our team has been any better. At our best, I know that we’re good enough.”
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With NASCAR entering the second half of the playoffs, all eyes will surely be on Denny Hamlin as he embarks on his championship quest. Will he be able to end his championship drought or meet the fate of Mark Martin?
