“This is the time to put away the past and go all offense,” Denny Hamlin declared after last Saturday’s race. The No. 11 Toyota driver’s playoff chances were hanging by a thread going into Bristol, as Hamlin finished 24th and 23rd in Atlanta and Watkins Glen. However, Hamlin and his crew came up with what they needed in Bristol as the #11’s fourth-place finish meant he remained in the hunt for that elusive Cup Series championship.

While two of his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates faded away in the elimination round, Hamlin prevailed. Having started in the eighth spot, it was a night of controlled aggression for the #11. Finishing sixth and third in Stages 1 and 3, Hamlin was behind eventual winner Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott when the 163-lap green flag started. With around 100 laps to go, Christopher Bell fended him off from his third place only to be pushed back by Hamlin just 50 laps later. In the end, No. 23 driver Bubba Wallace pipped Hamlin for the second spot with two laps to go, leaving Denny to settle for the fourth place.

Even though there was no repeat of his success at Bristol from March, the outcome in September was equally important. Hamlin was focused on getting to the finish line without any interruptions or pushback and he had the know-how of the track to achieve the necessary finish. The result was achieved by slowly building from the back and being cautious rather than the usual aggression associated with Hamlin.

Speaking after the race he said, “I told them I didn’t even want a countdown. I’ve had some unfortunate things happen, so I was definitely just hoping this thing went green and let the thing finish out naturally, and luckily everyone kept their head on.” The finish was the team’s first top-10 finish since the regular season finale at Darlington and Hamlin for the most part was satisfied. “I want to get back on [the] track of contending for wins, and I think tonight’s a good step for that. Then we go to Kansas, where I really feel confident. I feel like this is a reset. This is time to put away the past and go all offense.”

Before the race, he was six points outside the playoff cutline with his post-season hopes hanging by a thread. With this performance at the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, he advanced into the second round of the postseason by 15 points, being the only driver to climb out of a pre-race deficit in the playoff picture.

This tireless determination to turn around a bleak future impressed NASCAR veteran Kyle Petty. Petty has both been a vocal supporter and critic of Hamlin in the past. He backed Hamlin to win the 2023 Cup Series as he praised his tenacity. However, after the first playoff race this year in Atlanta, Petty lashed out at the driver for his strategy of staying toward the back of the pack, with an aim to secure a modest 20 points.

But after Bristol, he put the spotlight on Hamlin’s performance while taking on NASCAR’s YouTube channel. Petty said, “Denny freaking Hamlin. That’s what it was all about. I said it in pre-race. He called his shot in 2012 at New Hampshire…called his shot earlier this year in Dover. He didn’t call this shot but he had to make this shot. They had to make something happen after the first two poor performances in this round…And did what he needed to do.” 

He also added, “That’s what a champion team does and that’s what a champion does.” Hamlin had four wins at Bristol coming into the last race of the Round of 16 playoffs. His latest win back in March was after a photo finish involving teammate Martin Truex Jr. Hence, there was hope in some quarters that Hamlin could salvage his playoff campaign here.

Last year as well, Petty had backed Hamlin to end his championship drought after his impressive showing in the playoffs. Appreciating Hamlin’s consistency in the playoffs he had said, “Right now, Denny is on a high. They can do nothing wrong. They can speed on the pit road. They can do whatever they want to do and they’re going to salvage a top five.” Petty’s optimism wasn’t misplaced.

Hamlin won at Bristol and had a runner-up finish in Kansas. He had seven top-10 finishes during the 10-race playoff stretch but came unstuck at the Homestead-Miami Speedway when his #11 Toyota suffered a mechanical issue late in the race, resulting in a 30th-place finish and a spot outside the Championship 4 for the second season in a row.

But yet again Petty is bold enough to declare that the 19th year might be Denny Hamlin‘s time to break the long and drab championship-less run. “Denny’s in that championship mode, in that championship chase, in that championship mindset – probably more than I’ve seen him ever. We talk about it every year but he’s in an attack mode now. There’s only a few races left, but I think this is a guy that’s dangerous. He has caught his second win. He sees the future, he sees Phoenix, and he can get there.”

These comments from Petty come after his scathing criticism of Hamlin after the Atlanta race. Lashing out at Hamlinon USA Network, he said, “Who goes into the playoffs saying, ‘I want to get 20 points in the first race?’ I’ve never heard anything like that in all the history of when we’ve had playoffs, ‘I just want to get 20 race points, I’m gonna ride back here.’ So, I’m more confused now than I was before I heard him speak.”

However, there was a reason behind Hamlin’s cautious approach. The reconfigured Atlanta track has been unpredictable and known for big severe accidents. Although this plan left Hamlin playing catch-up, he seemed to be doing alright until a final lap wreck left in P24. But now he is through to the Round of 12, after a assured performance in Bristol. Yet, the No. 11 Toyota Camry driver was left ruing what might have been.

Speaking after the race he said, “Larson was just too good. I got loose towards the end, and that solid car wasn’t enough to catch up. I had no choice but to settle for a top five.” With 54 NASCAR Cup Series wins in 20 seasons, it is hard to believe Hamlin is without a Cup Series championship. Hamlin has made it to the Championship 4, four times, but hasn’t tasted championship glory. In fact, Hamlin has the most wins in the NASCAR Cup Series without a championship.

The 43-year-old driver would hope to change this statistic this year and the Bristol comeback could hold him in good stead. However, another NASCAR Cup veteran espouses a different belief, although his statement came before Hamlin secured his top-five Bristol finish.

Hamlin’s history does not paint a bright picture

Although Kyle Petty is confident about the 2024 stint, Denny Hamlin has messed up playoff runs when it mattered the most. In 2010, he lost a 33-point lead over Jimmie Johnson going into the final two playoff races. Then, with 100 laps to go in the 2019 title race, his car overheated, and he ended up finishing 10th. Hendrick Motorsports stars beat him in the Championship 4 round in both 2020 and 2021—which is threatening to be a possibility this year. And in 2022, Ross Chastain’s iconic ‘Hail Melon’ move shoved him out of the final four yet again.

So retired Cup racer Kevin Harvick is not particularly confident about Hamlin’s chances. He himself beat Denny Hamlin to the 2014 championship with barely 8 laps to go. Harvick said prior to the Bristol race that Hamlin always snaps his momentum in the playoffs. “The thing about Denny has always seemed that he’s handled [pressure well]. He’s got a lot of things that he can handle well off the racetrack. And still get in the car and perform. But he’s never gotten to the point of being able to handle it well and win a championship.”

He also expected Hamlin’s strong Bristol run but still had his doubts. “I expect them to go to Bristol and to be able to perform. But you gotta put the whole thing together.”

With multifarious opinions on Denny Hamlin’s chances, the veteran driver is getting a lot of spotlight. Let us wait and see if he can finally win that coveted championship title.