It was indeed a surprise to see Denny Hamlin holding out himself, trying to bank on a defensive strategy during the playoff race at Atlanta last Sunday. The No. 11 did have genuine concerns about his racecar after being mired by the engine troubles. But was it a good approach in the playoffs where the driver only has limited opportunities?

“Who goes into the playoffs saying, ‘I want to get 20 points in the first race?” This was Kyle Petty’s comment on Hamlin’s strategy to avoid crashes, trying to race for points. As a result, he fell victim to his own strategy, being caught in a late-race pile-up and finishing in 24th place. However, Denny Hamlin wasn’t exactly holding out on his attacking approach, according to the former JGR driver. Rather, he was trying to bank on a strategy that could help him clear the Atlanta strategy. And, according to Kyle Busch, it didn’t work out in his favor.

The reason behind Hamlin’s conservative approach, according to Kyle Busch

Denny Hamlin’s recent track record on speedways in the Next Gen era is nothing to boast about. Especially in Atlanta, where he hasn’t found winning speed after the repave of the track in 2021. In his last six starts at the quad oval track, he has only managed a single top-10 finish. So he was well aware of his chances going into last weekend’s race and therefore planned out a strategy to collect as many points as possible.

Also given how Hamlin’s last two superspeedway races ended with a DNF at Talladega and Daytona, he was trying to play safe. And his pragmatic approach just made sense to his former teammate Kyle Busch. “I think Denny kind of sensed that or tried to play to that where the first round he was like, okay, I need 20 points per race. So I’m just going to ride around; he just needed a points number; that’s all he was looking for,” Busch said on NASCAR’s special segment, Inside the Playoffs, as Shannon Spake, Steve Letarte, and Mamba Smith discussed Atlanta and Watkins Glen.

But Rowdy also pointed out that while the #11 team’s theoretical plan failed, they should’ve gone on the offense made with adjustments to their car. He said, “You always have to be working on your stuff and always have to be in the attack mode. We always talk about restrictor plate races when you hang back, nobody in the front gets a chance to see you and trust you. If you’re not up there with everybody, you’re going to get hung out to dry.”

Is this the year?

Is the phrase that gets thrown at Hamlin every season during the playoffs. And if he wants to conquer NASCAR’s highest peak, he will need to do more than just bank on a points strategy. But is there a way back for the #11 team to shift gears and get back to contending for the trophy?

One win and Denny is still in the playoffs

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This year has been full of surprises and big upsets. Even the big dogs like Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain, Chris Beuscher, and Bubba Wallace have crumbled in the face of relentless pressure. NASCAR’s format still rewards the drivers for winning a race, and that is all Denny Hamlin will need to ensure his qualification for the next round.

While the first race wasn’t the best result for him, he still has two races to make amends. A road course race at Watkins Glen, followed by his favored short track race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Although Hamlin isn’t the most prolific road racer, the Glen has been one of his better tracks. He finished last year’s race in a runner-up position and has three top-5 finishes in his last four starts at the 2.45-mile track.

Even if it comes to the last race at Bristol, the JGR driver will feel confident about clearing that hurdle. Hamlin’s two of the three wins this season have come at short ovals, and he is also the defending race winner of last year’s fall race.

So you see, all hope isn’t lost for the driver and the #11 team; all they need to do is execute well in the upcoming races.