2023 has been Denny Hamlin’s year to shine. From the get-go, he’s been revving his engines like a man possessed, his sights firmly locked on the coveted 2023 championship title. But that’s not all, Hamlin has been cooking up a storm outside the racetrack too. He teamed up with Dale Earnhardt Jr’s media empire to launch his podcast “Actions Detrimental,” where he is serving piping hot takes every week without ever holding back.

Week after week, “Actions Detrimental” has been the fans’ pitstop for the juiciest post-race gossip. The common theme? This is HIS year. But as the elimination race looms large and Hamlin teeters precariously below the cutline, one can’t help but wonder—is it really Hamlin‘s year, or is he about to skid off the championship track?

Denny Hamlin’s ultimate title chase—Can he finally trade “Championship-less” for “Champion”?

Let’s rewind back to the glaring lights of the Bristol night race, where Denny Hamlin, the man who currently wears the crown of the most hated driver on the grid, claimed his third win of the season. As the #11 car parked in victory lane, the chorus of boos rained down, but Hamlin stood undeterred, head held high, and later declared, “This is our year.”

Bristol marked Hamlin’s 51st career victory, a testament to his prowess behind the wheel. Yet, hidden beneath the glory was a stat he’d rather erase: he became the winningest driver in the history of the sport without a championship to his name. Hamlin has battled for the championship for years, accumulating win after win, but now he carries the weight of the “championship-less” moniker. The question on everyone’s mind is, will this be the year Hamlin trades it for a championship?

Currently tied with his JGR teammate Martin Truex Jr, Hamlin sits 17 points below the playoff cutline. The postseason journey has been unpredictable for the #11 team. The first three playoff races saw him in the best car, and even in the second round, he managed two top-five finishes. But then came the roval—a nightmare. He spun out in practice, spun out twice in the race, and finished 37th.

Subsequently, in the round of eight, his momentum dwindled. Las Vegas was a disappointment, ending in a 10th-place finish and the loss of critical points. The playoffs demand more than just being good; they demand greatness and a dash of luck. Unfortunately, Hamlin’s luck vanished at Homestead-Miami when a power steering issue sent him crashing into the outside wall, resulting in a DNF.

Hamlin’s momentum has hit a roadblock in recent weeks. Overcoming a 17-point deficit is not impossible, but it’s an uphill battle. Yet, Hamlin isn’t here to play games, as he proclaimed on his podcast, “I guarantee you I will be on the attack right from the start and treat it as a must-win situation.”

Denny Hamlin reveals Championship hopes reality check amidst NASCAR’s unpredictability

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In a recent interview with Zach Sturniolo, Hamlin appeared to backtrack on his earlier bold claims. This time, he added a condition. In a sport as unpredictable as NASCAR, Hamlin soon discovered that his season-long hard work could unravel in the blink of an eye, especially in the intense playoff stretch leading toward Phoenix.

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During the interview, the 42-year-old candidly discussed the harsh reality of the playoff format, acknowledging that his championship hopes were hanging by a thread. When questioned about his championship hopes he stated, “I think we certainly are, as long as we keep our fate in our own hands. I feel as though it’s a good opportunity for us, probably one of the best opportunities that we’ve had.”

He was also quick to add, “But the competition doesn’t care about that. Like if we blow a tire with 5 to go, we go from dominating the race to losing it on our own. They don’t care about what you are trying to accomplish. They are just trying to race their own race, so it’s a weird sport in that sense. While things you feel are in your favor, each week you have been one of the top contenders. The format doesn’t care, and they can knock you out.”

Despite the uncertainty, Hamlin finds himself heading to one of his most favorable tracks in Martinsville, a place where he’s consistently performed well. He’s managed top-five finishes in his last two trips there and boasts five career wins at the “paperclip track.” However, his last win at Martinsville was in 2015, and there’s a lot of pressure on Denny Hamlin and the #11 team this weekend. Nevertheless, as a seasoned veteran of the sport, he’s expected to handle the pressure.

With the Martinsville outing right at the precipice of unfolding, the question looms large: Can Hamlin secure his Championship 4 chance, or just like 2022 will history repeat itself, leaving him tantalizingly close but ultimately missing out on the championship in those nerve-wracking final moments of the race?

Read more: “Deserved It After Chucking Brad”: Denny Hamlin’s Infamous Chase Elliott Dump at Martinsville Deemed Karma by Fans