Amid Denny Hamlin’s Championship Shouts, Joe Gibbs’ Future Ace Prepares a Third Successive Bid for NASCAR Throne

Is 2024 the year when Denny Hamlin finally wins his maiden NASCAR Cup Series trophy? Going by the showings after 22 races, it’s hard not to add him to the list of drivers who are genuine contenders. The No. 11 Toyota Camry has been an absolute rocket ship, adding multiple wins to Hamlin’s name this season.

The likes of Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney are seen as the top contenders who can pose a serious threat to Hamlin’s title hopes. But, he just might be sleeping on the silent challenge the 29-year-old Christopher Bell is mounting himself. This is nothing but the change of guard at Joe Gibbs Racing, it’s essentially a fairytale ending vs. a rise of the new generation. And the latter seems to have the edge in terms of crossing the finish line.

Christopher Bell is equally hungry for his maiden title win in 2024

Racking up multiple wins in the regular season is a good thing, but the first 26 races of the season do not guarantee a championship win. Rather, the run in the playoffs seems to test the resolve and ability of the race car drivers. And when we compare the playoff run between the two JGR stars, Christopher Bell looks to be in a better spot to claim the trophy than his veteran teammate.

C. Bell joined the team in 2021, and with a single win that year, he was testing the waters and getting used to the new environment. But he turned a corner for good in 2022, clinching three wins that year. Two of them came in the playoffs, and it was the first time he made the championship 4. But a P10 finish in the penultimate race at Phoenix saw him settle for the 3rd spot in the championship standings.

He continued on his growth trajectory in 2023 and once again found himself racing for the trophy in Phoenix. However, an unfortunate incident during the Stage 2 run saw him end the race with a DNF finish. This would have been a gutting feeling for the JGR driver, as for the second year in a row, he wasn’t able to convert his good playoff run. And this is what makes him more of a threat going into the playoffs this year.

Usually, Christopher Bell and his team would bank on a single win in the regular season and then bring out the big guns during the playoffs. That seems to have changed in 2024, as he’s already clinched multiple wins, one of which came at Phoenix, a track that has handed him some grim memories. What stands out the most in his 22 races so far is the number of stage wins he has collected, 9, which is the most of any driver.

This does indicate he is planning for the long run, and this time around, he doesn’t want to take any chances. Although Hamlin in No. 11 looks sharp and consistent on the track, historically he hasn’t managed to convert the opportunities. And it’s going to be really tough this time around, with multiple drivers and teams matching strides.

Hamlin’s chance of a championship triumph is under serious threat

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Let’s keep the comparison fair and square, taking in his 2024 run and the Championship 4 results from 2021. The veteran driver has made the finale race four times in his illustrious career in the Cup Series, but only one of those came in the last three attempts. 2021 was the year where he finished 3rd, which is also his career-best run tied with his results from the 2014 season.

One of the key concerns for Hamlin is his inability to grab wins late in the playoff stages. From 2021 on, he only has two playoff wins; those too came during the initial stages of the knockout phases. He’s also been unlucky at times; in 2022, a hail-mary move by Ross Chastain ended his hopes of making the final 4. Whereas, engine troubles at Homestead Miami in 2023 further added to his misery.

We haven’t seen the two JGR drivers go elbows out against each other so far this season. But that dynamic would change once it enters the knockout stages, and it will be interesting how Hamlin manages to keep the young gun at bay.