The NASCAR Cup Series field is set for the playoffs after a dramatic weekend in Daytona. Denny Hamlin is already licking his chops, predicting who will be eliminated in the Round of 16.
There are certainly some interesting candidates, with tough tracks on the docket over the next three weeks. During the latest episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast, the Joe Gibbs Racing wheelman named the four drivers he believes won’t be advancing to the Round of 12.
“Darlington, Gateway, Bristol. I’ll say [Austin] Dillon, [Josh] Berry, Austin [Cindric] and SVG,” Hamlin stated. “… Versus guys like Bowman, Reddick, Logano, Chastain, Bubba — I think they all overtake (SVG). Just on speed, you know. I don’t know if that’s a wild prediction or not, but my first four out — SVG, Cindric, Berry, Dillon.”
The most surprising name on that list is Shane van Gisbergen. His four wins rival Hamlin’s atop the Cup Series standings. While Hamlin sees a path for SVG to advance, he doesn’t believe it’s likely.
“It’ll definitely be a challenge,” Hamlin said, regarding SVG. “But I mean, he earned, you know, he’s got 22 — something like that, actual bonus points. So, he’s not in a bad spot.
“All he needs is a few of these guys to have lackluster days and he just somehow, you know — he goes in there, finishes top 20 and he’ll find himself in a decent spot going into that last cutoff race.”
More on the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, Denny Hamlin
Meanwhile, Hamlin seems to be feeling good about his chances of making a run in the 2025 NASCAR Playoffs. Later on his Actions Detrimental podcast, he was asked if he could win at any of the playoff tracks — other than the Charlotte Roval and Talladega.
“Absolutely,” Hamlin said. “My goals remain the same. I’d like to win a couple more races before the end of the season. Whenever they are, they are. If they advance me, they advance me. I’d like to win a couple more races. That’s the goal. Let’s get to 60 this year.”
Based on where Denny Hamlin stands in the playoff rankings, he’s capable of more than just winning a couple of races. If he does that, he’ll likely be competing in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race this November.
The one thing Hamlin hasn’t accomplished in his Hall of Fame career is winning a Cup Series title. He knows the path through the playoffs won’t be easy — but he’s got a shot.
“It’s all fluid,” Hamlin added. “Every three races, we reset the scoreboard. I don’t know. Let’s just win races. The playoffs are the playoffs. We got 10 more. Let’s just keep going.”
— On3’s Brian Jones contributed to this article.
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