It was a busy season to be Denny Hamlin. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s eclectic duties have kept him preoccupied both on and off the racetracks. He catered to a team that hosted its first regular season championship – that Tyler Reddick hoisted in Darlington. Then off-track, Hamlin and Michael Jordan, co-owners of 23XI Racing, filed a NASCAR lawsuit – the proceedings of which are ongoing. Yet in this wild flux of events, Hamlin could not achieve a long overdue goal.

The No. 11 driver has been competing at NASCAR’s premier level for 19 years. 54 race wins decorate his trophy cabinet and light up the legacy of several remarkable achievements. Yet that cabinet lacks something that would add the ultimate sparkle – a Bill France trophy. Although Hamlin was determined to break that 19-year streak this year, distractions and bad luck came his way.

Yet another season of fruitless efforts for Denny Hamlin

Soon after the Round of 8 opener in Las Vegas, Denny Hamlin showed a sliver of optimism. While waging a legal battle against NASCAR in the courtroom, the veteran racer was also trying to clinch his first championship. And he thought he could balance the two worlds well: “I would understand the responsibilities of a champion and certainly, knowing what I’m representing, I think I would be able to do a good job of separating the two.” The JGR driver put up two impressive top-five runs, both in Homestead and Martinsville. Yet his own 23XI driver outmaneuvered him in Florida and the 2023 defending champion retained his crown at the Paperclip.

So after the Martinsville chaos, Denny Hamlin dejectedly leaned against his car as he watched yet another season cross before his eyes. At the same time, he did not have time to think too much about it either, given the spectacular load of work he had in his hands. For one thing, the NASCAR lawsuit took a darker turn soon after Hamlin showed optimism. A federal court judge rejected 23XI and Front Row Motorsports’ motion to secure permanent charters for them in 2025. This dealt a blow to the morale in the rebellious fold, and both teams awaited the next hearing. Additionally, Hamlin had to be a beacon of inspiration for his team.

Tyler Reddick made Michael Jordan proud when he passed Hamlin and Ryan Blaney for the Homestead victory. Being the first driver to chase a championship in 23XI, the team united to push Reddick – including Denny Hamlin. He offered his No. 11 Toyota to help with setup adjustment while giving advice from his own end. However, Reddick ended up finishing in 4th place as Joey Logano took the championship and there was no respite for Hamlin at the end of the season.

Hamlin’s career has been a case of nearly but not quite, and the cherry on this disastrous cake has been the NASCAR playoff format.

Placed at a glaring points disadvantage

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Over the years, Denny Hamlin has faced several streaks of bad luck. A broken roof hatch led to a second-round elimination from the 2015 playoffs. Then in 2019, a large piece of tape was not applied properly to the nose of his car during a pit stop in the championship finale. As a result, Hamlin’s No. 11 car overheated and dropped through the race field.

This year, Hamlin also had a variety of on-track failures – he lost nearly half his bonus points due to an engine penalty just before the postseason arrived. Then backfiring strategies and a myriad of mistakes on pit road have plagued his 2024 playoff run. Yet one factor was out of the 11 team’s control this year – the playoff system.

The 2014 format probably saw its worst consequence this year. Joey Logano, who finished outside the top ten in points, ended up becoming the Cup Series championship. On the other hand, Kyle Larson, who had 6 wins and led 1700 laps, was eliminated after the Round of 8. Similarly, Denny Hamlin’s three wins, 18 top-tens, and 12 top-fives amounted to nothing in the end.

Evidently, a slew of disadvantages faced Denny Hamlin on his championship path. Whether it was off-track work or the unfair playoff format, the JGR driver just could not get it done in his 19th year.