It’s now or never for Denny Hamlin. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver finds himself in a precarious position going into the penultimate Round of 8 fixture. With Joey Logano winning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, only three spots are up for grabs, with two races remaining to secure a place in Championship 4. A topsy-turvy postseason campaign has forced the veteran to show some consistency in the coming weeks to keep his title hopes alive.

Reflecting on his chances of making it to Phoenix Raceway, a prominent Hendrick Motorsports Insider spoke about Denny Hamlin ahead of the Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Could Denny Hamlin pull off a clutch performance at Homestead-Miami?

Denny Hamlin has had quite a strange season, hasn’t he? The No. 11 Toyota driver entered the 2024 campaign as one of the favorites to win the title, despite the championship eluding him for almost 20 years. He secured victories at Bristol, Richmond, and Dover but hasn’t been able to replicate early-season form for over 20 races. Inconsistency has been a big problem for Hamlin in the playoffs, even though he has somehow managed to claw his way into the Round of Eight despite struggling at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Watkins Glen.

As things stand, Denny Hamlin is fifth in the driver standings, 27 points below the elimination cutline going into Homestead-Miami. Despite his dwindling title hopes, former Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Steve Letarte remains cautiously optimistic, saying, “This playoff has been dismal for the No. 11 car. This is not the Denny Hamlin we know. This is not the Joe Gibbs Racing team we know. Nothing has gone right, but as the field left Denny Hamlin hanging around too long, will this be his week? A three-time winner at Miami. He’s won on different cars, different styles, different tires. He knows how to get it done. Would a win at Miami be the catapult? Will that be the momentum shift?”

Despite the less-than-flattering circumstances Denny Hamlin finds himself in, the veteran doesn’t feel that he is in must-win territory just yet. Highlighting his expectations from the upcoming races, the 43-year-old said, “If you’re going to talk about must-run top-three in every stage and the race for the next two weeks, it’s me and Reddick. No exceptions.”

While that will be easier said than done, Hamlin will take inspiration from teammate Christopher Bell, who has outperformed the veteran throughout the playoffs despite driving an identical car.

Homestead-Miami’s 1.5-mile intermediate speedway plays to Denny Hamlin’s strengths, and there will be a sense of urgency in his approach going into the race, which was lacking in the opening playoff fixture in Atlanta. The time to adopt a conservative approach is over, and Chris Gabehart will be drafting an aggressive strategy to be able to get maximum points from the remaining races. While luck can play a crucial role as well, Hamlin also has enough talent and experience to pull off a result when it matters the most.

Hamlin’s crew chief is inspired by Joey Logano’s Las Vegas display

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Joey Logano’s journey into the Championship 4 is somewhat of a fairytale. He was eliminated from the playoffs after the race at Charlotte Roval, but Alex Bowman’s disqualification gave him a second life in the Cup Series, and he grabbed it with both hands. Despite being rock-bottom in the standings, the Team Penske driver won the 2024 South Point 400 thanks to a bold fuel-saving strategy, busting the myth that ‘momentum’ is crucial to get a result during the business end of the season.

With the stakes being higher than ever, Denny Hamlin’s crew chief, Chris Gabehart, believes that the approach needs to change going into the business end of the season. He said, “Momentum is not a thing. Especially not with this format. Especially not with this year’s rounds of races and where they laid out. The No. 22 team is all the proof that anyone would need. What is the thing is great teams with great experience levels, they understand the pressure of the moments and know how to capitalize when the wind blows in their direction, so to speak.”

Going into Homestead-Miami, Denny Hamlin’s strategy will be simple. He will hope to qualify high, remain among the top three drivers, and be in contention for the stage wins. Based on how the race progresses, he could also attempt to sneak in a victory. It’s a track the veteran is familiar with, having won thrice before but not since the Next-Gen car was introduced.

Revealing his strategy ahead of the Straight Talk Wireless 400, Hamlin said, “Homestead is pretty straightforward from a strategy perspective. You’re going to take four tires anytime you pit, so that will allow guys that are upfront to stay up front. We need to be in that group and hope for a little luck from someone having a bad day or whatnot to make up that gap.”

With Joey Logano’s bold strategy at Las Vegas Motor Speedway making up for his lack of speed, Denny Hamlin and his No. 11 Toyota team could take a leaf out of the Team Penske driver’s book to get a result at Homestead-Miami.

Will the veteran racing driver finally end his winless streak in the NASCAR Cup Series and be in contention for the championship at Phoenix Raceway?