Missed opportunity. That’s what Denny Hamlin will consider the race at Kansas Speedway to be, after having the fastest car but still finishing eighth. Just like his opening playoff race of the season, there were blatant strategy errors at the 2024 Hollywood Casino 400, which were combined with pit road troubles and untimely cautions for yet another disappointing result. The veteran driver hasn’t won a race since Dover in April this year and is in somewhat of a precarious position going into the remaining races.

Ross Chastain’s unlikely triumph at Kansas’ 1.5-mile oval prompted Denny Hamlin to discuss the tremendous pressure drivers undergo while contending for the title in the most recent Actions Detrimental podcast.

Denny Hamlin highlights strategy approach for playoff contenders

Ever wondered how differently drivers who are competing for the championship approach the postseason races in comparison to others? With the stakes being higher than ever, playoff teams tend to devise a strategy that might be considered ‘conservative’, giving importance to stage points over a higher race finish. In many ways, the last 10 races of the season can be considered a marathon, not a sprint and while each race can have a single driver who secures a victory and qualifies for the next round automatically, the other drivers need to have a long-term approach to keep their title hopes alive.

With Trackhouse Racing star Ross Chastain securing his first win of the season, Denny Hamlin believes that non-playoff drivers can take more risks as they are not fighting for points, in comparison to those competing for the championship. Speakinsg in the Actions Detrimental podcast, the 43-year-old said, “That’s the advantage the non-playoff drivers will have is that they don’t care about the stage points. You’re going to see us at the Roval and all these racetracks selling out for stage points.”

“What happens is all the cars that flip, they’re just going to end up in front, racing for the win. Not the playoff cars. And you heard it. Teams become more conservative in the playoffs. I know it’s the more unpopular opinion, but it’s totally true. Kyle Larson actually mentioned it on the Dirty Mo Live. At Kansas, we were all out but he said, ‘I feel people just get more conservative during the playoffs’.” He later added.

Denny Hamlin may have a point about teams having a conservative strategy during the postseason. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver was criticized for the way he approached the Quaker State 400 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Despite starting the race at rock bottom, the Florida native almost seemed reluctant to gain track positions, hoping to capitalize on wrecks and cautions to gain track positions. The strategy backfired as the racing veteran finished 24th in the opening playoff race, making his Round of 12 progress an uphill task.

While the objective of securing stage points might work in some instances, it can also backfire on certain tracks. The final Round of 8 race will take place at the Charlotte Roval, a hybrid between an oval and a road course, which will make overtaking opportunities very difficult for drivers. This means that just like the race at Watkins Glen, drivers and teams will have a decision to make.

As Denny Hamlin put it, “It’s just part of the balance that you have to do and weigh your situation to figure out will will I gain more points by finishing well or will I gain more points by getting some stage points and finishing poorly and it’s just a math equation.”

Earlier in the conversation, the veteran also pointed out another important aspect: the difference in racing style now and the pre-Next Gen era. Pointing out how overtaking difficulties have made races cumbersome, he said,

Case in point: Chastain win was possible after he took the lead on a restart on Lap 248 of 267, over Martin Truex Jr. While William Byron followed closely behind ultimately finishing P2, the restart was all Chastain needed to capitalize for a win. Truex Jr finished third, while Ryan Blaney, despite a loose left wheel in the final stage, finished P4, followed by Ty Gibbs, Alex Bowman and Denny Hamlin. Bristol winner Kyle Larson, on the other hand, had the worst day after his left rear went down at the end of Stage 2. He finished 26th. However, he’s already got his mind on the next best thing:

As for the playoff standings, Byron is currently leading the chart followed by Blaney, Christopher Bell, Larson and Hamlin. Bowman, Chase Elliott and Joey Logano round up the rest of the Top-8 heading to second Round of 12 race at Talladega. Currently facing potential elimination is Regular Season Champion Tyler Reddick, Daniel Suarez, Chase Briscoe and Austin Cindric.

While these four drivers are definitely going to be losing some precious sleep, it looks like Chastain triumph couldn’t have come at a better time…

Ross Chastain ends winless streak at Kansas Speedway

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Trackhouse Racing driver Ross Chastain had the last laugh at the 2024 Hollywood Casino 400. He ended his 30-race drought by entering Victory Lane at Kansas Speedway, ensuring no playoff driver secured automatic qualification to the Round of 8 at the 1.5-mile oval. With the 31-year-old racing for nothing but pride, his strategy during the race echoed Denny Hamlin’s sentiments that non-playoff drivers have a higher risk appetite, which can translate into wins in the last 10 races of the season.

Speaking in the post-race interview, an elated Chastain said, “It’s a huge deal. For us on this No. 1 team, this is what Cup racing is all about. It’s what Justin Marks bought into Trackhouse with Pitbull, to do stuff like this. To disrupt. There’s been times this year when we couldn’t have disrupted [a] minnow pond outside of Darlington, let alone a Cup race. It’s hard. It’s really tough.”

Trackhouse Racing has come a long way since the team made its debut in 2021. In many ways, the wrong car from the team secured a victory, as Daniel Suarez is competing in the Round of 12 and hoping to make a deep playoff run. However, with the stakes higher than ever before, it’s not surprising to see the No. 99 team taking fewer risks in comparison to Chastain, in an attempt to avoid a DNF. The result will motivate other non-playoff drivers to eye their place on Victory Lane with six races remaining before the season ends.