Denny Hamlin has more reason than any NASCAR Cup Series driver to hate overtime.
Hamlin led 131 laps of Sunday’s race at Kansas Speedway, but the Joe Gibbs Racing driver settled for fourth place after Cody Ware spun out to prompt a late caution. It’s the sixth time since 2023 that Hamlin lost an overtime race he would have won if it had gone the scheduled distance.
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Unsurprisingly, Hamlin isn’t a huge fan of the current overtime format. The 45-year-old vented on his “Actions Detrimental” podcast.
“For God’s sakes, if there’s one person that doesn’t like it, it’s me,” Hamlin said. “We did it for the sake of entertainment decades ago, it feels like. I don’t know. I think it’s part of our sport now. It’s tough to go back on that one, but I’d have a hell of a lot more wins and definitely a championship or so.”
Does overtime hurt NASCAR?
MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – MARCH 29: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Toyota, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, 2025 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Some fans may love the drama of a late restart, but Hamlin argued that overtime damages NASCAR’s legitimacy.
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“Yes is the short answer,” Hamlin said. “Because this is a 400-mile race. Oh no, it’s a 406-mile race. We’re going to change it up. There’s an advertised distance, then there’s an actual distance.”
Sunday added yet another in a long string of frustrating close calls for Hamlin, who has one victory to show for four top-five finishes this season. He’s 105 points behind fellow Toyota driver Tyler Reddick in the Cup Series standings despite leading more laps than anyone (575) through nine starts.
Hamlin also experienced heartbreak at Kansas last September when Chase Elliott passed him on the final lap to win the Hollywood Casino 400 playoff race. For all his accolades, Hamlin is still pursuing his first Cup Series championship.
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“I don’t know, but it’s what it is,” Hamlin said. “I try to figure out how to take solace in it, but it’s like, well everyone knew we were fast. I guess that’s great. We scored lots of points. That’s cool. But it’s the wins that matter to me. It’s putting another trophy on the table out there by the front door. Really getting on my (expletive) nerves that we’re not doing it.”
This story was originally published by The Spun on Apr 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the NASCAR section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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