Joe Gibbs Racing star Denny Hamlin appears to have found himself a new shade as the 2023 season races to a culmination. Just a few weeks back, the newest “villain” of NASCAR very confidently proclaimed that this was going to be “his” year. Contending with the best racers in the country for his first Cup Series title, the 42-year-old has been dominating much of the grid thus far. But heading to the third stage race of the playoffs at Las Vegas, the #11 team appears to be on shaky ground.

Talking to the media ahead of the race, Hamlin voiced out words that did not reflect the confidence that he held in the past, doubling down on the worries that his words cause is his poor qualifying lap.

Has Denny Hamlin lost confidence ahead of crucial playoff race?

In his storied career, Denny Hamlin has won almost every crown there is to win in NASCAR. Almost. For 17 long years, the Cup Series title has eluded him. Hell-bent on making sure that he wasn’t going to let it slip from him again this season, Hamlin has let his resolve be known on multiple occasions. Despite contract issues, negativity from fans, and other such hurdles, he has held his ground so far. But as he goes to the first race of the Round of 8, the integrity of the wall of confidence that he has built around himself appears to have been compromised.

Answering a reporter’s question, “Do you still consider this as your year to get this?” Hamlin got into providing a neutral answer. Expressing that the best he could do was make sure to focus on the next race ahead of him, he said, “Well I mean, it’s eight of our year’s so far. It’s not mine to lose others to gain. There’s an equal shot for everyone. I mean, it doesn’t mean all the cars are equal, doesn’t mean all the teams are equal. But certainly, everyone’s got an equal shot going into these last four races. […] It’s not like you really have control of it and they got to take it from you. That’s not… It’s not the way, you know, racing really works.”

Though Hamlin’s words before getting to the track make a lot of sense, one can’t help but notice their contrast with his previous statements. With another reporter asking if the optimism that the driver had relayed in his podcasts still lasted, Hamlin cleared the air further on his thoughts.

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The #11 driver does not have his eyes on the finale at Phoenix, as of yet

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A lot of the drivers who formed the grid with Hamlin when he first began his career are now retired. With a much younger generation of drivers taking the field, the icon faces heavy competition as he takes on the newer blood. Last year, he missed out on making it to the Championship 4 after a breathtaking, last-turn maneuver from Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain. Hamlin will be looking to avoid such situations at all costs this year.

Responding to the reporter’s question about his use of the words “It’s kill-time” and “Can’t lay back at all” on his podcast, Hamlin emphasized his new-found uncertainty over everything. He said, “I think we had three finishes in the top seven last year. We didn’t make it. There were a lot of different factors in that. We didn’t have as many playoff points last year, as well. So, I think, you know, that kind of repeat performance probably would get you in. But who knows? I mean we don’t know. We’re just so week to week and you really can’t think about the end result. You just have to think about the next shot and that’s this weekend.”

The strong mindset that Hamlin had possessed so far helped him gather many points on the track. Getting behind the wheel to the same level of the game where he failed last year, he will need to maintain that strength now more so than ever. Worryingly, Hamlin was also one of the two drivers who did not 2nd round of the time trials in qualifying. He will start the grid at P15 during the main event. Over the course of the next few hours, we will find out how his undue character reflects in his performance on the track.

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