The lingering scent of burnt rubber still hangs on the Daytona track and the 39 engines have barely cooled, yet the NASCAR arena is getting charged with anticipation for the first playoff race. The regular season finale at Daytona saw 16 drivers take their seats in the coveted playoffs. They will be seen competing for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship, in a battle of speed, strategy, and skill. 

As the racing community shifts gears in preparation for next weekend, NASCAR veteran Kyle Petty’s voice is heard on the NASCAR on NBC podcast, providing an insightful preview of what is on the horizon for the 16, especially for Denny Hamlin.

Kyle Petty puts “all the faith in the world” on Denny Hamlin

Denny Hamlin is not someone to trifle with on the racetrack. In a career spanning 19 seasons, the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran has won 50 Cup races including three Daytona 500s and three Southern 500s. Despite his many achievements, like every other legend, Hamlin too has his weaknesses. Speaking on the championship chances of the playoff entrants, Kyle Petty touched on Denny Hamlin’s prospects and backed the driver to win the championship, should he work on his “Achilles heel”.

The former racer and NBC broadcaster said, “I have all the faith in the world. He is a Hall of Famer; he is a great race car driver. But once again, his Achilles heel. Pit road. Races ahead… yesterday, at Daytona. Can he.. If he can have a clean pit road, no penalties, no bad pit stops. Denny Hamlin may lap the field. And win this championship.”

Denny Hamlin and Kyle Petty haven’t always been the best of friends. Despite their differences, Petty’s positive hopes for Hamlin might come as a surprise to many. Looking back on Hamlin’s career, Petty’s opinion that his pitstop problems could cost him a championship are well substantiated.

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Can Hamlin and his crew get rid of past demons as they move into the playoffs?

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As Kyle Petty states, Hamlin has had one too many altercations going into the pit road in 2023. The driver has been penalized for multiple speeding incidents and yellow-line infractions. His pit crew too has been guilty of multiple mistakes throughout the year, resulting in lengthy pit stops that deceive them of any chance to win. The most recent incident happened in the Coke Zero Sugar 400, where Hamlin was slapped a pass-through penalty after his crew member came over the wall too soon on lap 81. 

Back in May, at Dover, Denny lost almost 21 spots on the pit road through the entire race. In the Daytona 500, which went down a few months prior to that, the driver was found blaming a pitstop decision that removed him from the front running group for costing him a win. More recently, his P3 finish in Michigan earlier this month was marred by pitstop issues. Unable to move after his crew was done working the car, he was found struggling to get his engine started.

All these incidents and more have cost the 23XI Racing owner one too many opportunities to create a better legacy of his own. Despite being in the tracks for nearly two decades, a NASCAR championship has always eluded him. Going to Darlington, yesterday’s echoes meet tomorrow’s promises. With new hopes invigorated, let’s wait and watch if Denny Hamlin gets the better of his pit-road troubles and makes Kyle Petty’s prediction a reality.

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