Denny Hamlin is potentially one of the greatest drivers to grace the NASCAR circuits. However, despite 54 wins equaling Lee Petty’s all-time Cup win record, he has yet to conquer the final peak, which is a championship.

It’s just hard to believe that after 15 years of Cup racing, a driver like Denny Hamlin has not added the sport’s prized possession to his trophy cabinet. Although three Daytona 500 wins are one of Hamlin’s career highlights, the JGR star driver’s focus is to etch himself in NASCAR’s history books.

And the easiest way to do so is to win more races and, of course, the championship. With the 2024 regular season now heading towards its end, the JGR star is nearing the challenge of clearing that final hurdle once again. However, it looks like, this time around, he is leaving no stone unturned in snapping the curse and lifting the championship trophy.

Denny Hamlin wants to put a fairytale end to his NASCAR legacy

Although Hamlin has secured his playoff spot with multiple wins in the regular season, the job is not done yet. Keeping in mind how the bonus playoff points will come in handy, he is eager to add more wins to his name. The easiest way to rake in the maximum bonus points is by winning the regular season title. Going by his words, the #11 team is among the favorites to grab hold of those crucial points.

“Potential, I mean we definitely have potential to win it. Good tracks coming up for us, it’s gonna be a race against execution for ourselves, so that will be the biggest thing. Obviously, the Daytona result will be a big factor as well. I mean it certainly would be beneficial. Yeah, I’d love to get as many wins as possible,” Denny Hamlin said via Frontstretch at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The JGR driver also shared his thoughts on what he thinks about his NASCAR legacy. His response certainly touched on the long-eluded prize along with the hunger to win victories, as he said, “I mean every now and then, I would think so. When people introduce you and things like that, they always kinda get your accolades. So just wanna have a longer introduction for yourself.”

Now that the Brickyard 400 is back to oval racing, the veteran driver will look to add another crown jewel victory to his winning list. He came ever so close to winning the road course race back in 2022.

Why wasn’t he sure if he would ever be able to claim the win in Indianapolis?

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Hamlin has a Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, and Southern 500 win added to his storied career. However, the Brickyard 400 is another win that has eluded him. Back in 2022, he was in contention to win the event after several overtime attempts. But Chase Briscoe, despite being brandished a stop-and-go for cutting the track short, wrecked Hamlin out of the race.

At 40, Hamlin wasn’t sure he would be able to get into victory lane at the iconic racing venue. But with the oval racing back after a three-year hiatus, he is looking to settle the score. “I just never resigned to the fact that the road course here was going to be permanent. I just didn’t know how long my career would go at that point. I don’t have that many chances left; it’s less than what on my hand I would think. So you gotta take advantage of every opportunity. Overall, I feel I’ve always been in contention here, just never gotten it done.” Hamlin went on to add.

Going by his practice run results, his No. 11 Toyota Camry looks to be up for the task. However, he will have to lock horns against the likes of Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick, who have shown serious pace as well.