Pole-winner, led the most laps, had the fastest lap of the race, and Denny Hamlin finished it up with the checkered flag. Excellent performance from the oldest driver in the NASCAR Cup Series. He will now advance to the Round of 12 in the Playoffs.
Career win 59 for Denny Hamlin. He is one away from that coveted 60-win mark and tying Kevin Harvick for 10th all-time in the Cup Series.
Today was one of those vintage Hamlin wins. Not super dominant, but he came to the track in a fast car, his team was great on pit road, and he finished it off like the veteran that he is.
A smattering of boos for Denny Hamlin after this win. 200th win for Toyota in the Cup Series. This was a major win for Hamlin.
This has been the best season for Denny Hamlin in a number of years. He has emerged as a the winningest driver in the Cup Series this season after today’s race. There is still potential for him to win more. Like…next week.
Today’s race had a few leaders, but we saw once again that having clean air was the ultimate cheat code. Still, throughout the field, we saw three-wide racing and drivers using multiple grooves to make passes. A little extra horsepower at this track would have the racing really cooking for the Cup Series.
Denny Hamlin advances to the Round of 12
Making it to the Round of 12 means Denny Hamlin can focus in on those races now. It is a difficult round. Kansas, New Hampshire, and the Roval. But racing for the win at Bristol and being competitive each week is a big deal for Hamlin. He wants every win he can manage and every playoff point he can grab as well.
The NASCAR Playoffs are quick and come at you fast. Drivers go from being in a comfortable position to being below the cutline from one week to the next. Hamlin had a great day, of course. Bubba Wallace was a big winner today with a ton of stage points. Kyle Larson is going to be comfortable at Bristol with his points advantage.
Where things really get tricky is down at the cutline. Austin Cindric is in the final transfer spot, 12th place. Austin Dillon is 11 points back, Shane van Gisbergen 15 points back. Alex Bowman and Josh Berry are both 35+ points below the cutline and will need to win to advance next week at Bristol.
Denny Hamlin hasn’t won five races or more in a season since 2020, when he won seven. That was in the middle of his three-year streak of making the Championship 4. Is this the year he returns? Even more importantly, is this the year Hamlin claims that elusive championship?
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