With 11 points more than the cutoff line, Denny Hamlin is in the safe zone for this playoff round. Currently 5th in the standings, Hamlin made his way back up from almost being eliminated and it started from Bristol. After a difficult round 1 of the playoffs, Hamlin pulled his socks up and delivered, but now, the main question is: Was his P8 finish at Kansas good enough? For a man with 20 years of experience in the Cup Series, Hamlin’s only goal left is to win a championship. He is a top 5 driver after Kansas, but the race did not go according to his plans. For Hamlin to win the championship, he needs more wins under his belt, especially in the last 6 races. At the Hollywood Casino 400, Hamlin was extremely unhappy with his results, and guess who he blames for it? Himself.

According to Hamlin, Kansas did not play out as he would have liked, as a top-10 finish does not cut it for him anymore. There were times when Hamlin fought his way into the top 3, but caution flags always threw water on his plans. Whatever went down to ruin his race happened on pit road. Due to unfortunate events that went down on the pit road, Hamlin couldn’t achieve a better finish, which impacted his chances of winning the championship. Following the race, Jeff Gluck spoke to Denny Hamlin and the driver’s frustrations were visible on his face. Hamlin told Gluck that he had “maybe the worst day ever.”

The No. 11 driver then added, “I don’t know. I’ve had some pretty bad days, but, yeah, horrible days. And came out 15th, 20th, and then we had a loose wheel. Just, just terrible, terrible day.” Denny Hamlin was confident about his car, as he said he had one to win the race. But the issues kept him from challenging, leaving him frustrated after the eighth-place finish because he believed they could have done much better. Hearing Hamlin’s response, Bob Pockrass asked him, “Where do you think you could have finished with that?” Hamlin had a bold reply, saying, “We should have won the race. We had the fastest car. But every time we get to the top three, the caution comes out and we restart 15th–20th, so we can’t show how fast your car is when you’re back in the pack.” He also spoke about how he had to keep gaining positions from the back until the laps were over, and eventually, Ross Chastain won the race.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver was then asked, “How did you stay in it? Mentally?” Hamlin had a direct answer to that: “I’m not in it mentally. I will tell you that. You know, there’s a lot of wires across bolts at the moment. So, but, you know what you do, I’ll just do the best I can to drive the car. And, you know, do my part.” There are still 6 races left till the end of the playoffs and from this point forward, every race matters all the more. For Denny Hamlin, to win the title this year, he will need to win a race or two, depending on how the other drivers are doing. The only thing going for him at the moment is that he is in the safe zone from being eliminated. Fans saw his results at Kansas, and judging from his performance, they had much to say about how Hamlin’s season will go.

Fan’s perspective on Denny Hamlin’s Kansas performance

“He’s his own worst enemy, and I’m here for him to fail in another championship run,” said a fan who was sure that Hamlin would ruin his chances on his own accord. They stated that they were watching the playoffs just to see him fail to meet his goals again. Another user stood in support of Hamlin, saying, “Denny doesn’t really seem like a guy who says something just to say it. We’ve seen over the years how he’s tactical with what he says and how he says it. Some of it could be heat of the moment, but again, he compartmentalizes well. So for him to openly admit this took me aback.” Denny Hamlin, who is known to control his emotions during post-race interviews, expressed whatever was on his mind. So, although they supported Hamlin, his reaction after the race was not expected.

With everything going on in Denny Hamlin’s career with the charter negotiations and his sponsor leaving, one fan wrote, “I don’t think he means anything about charter negotiations or anything like that.” They explained that Hamlin was just frustrated because he thought he could win the race, but due to the time wasted in the pit lane, he couldn’t make it. The comment continued: “I took this to mean that at that very moment during the race, he was pissed off and had lost hope of winning. It’s all heat of the moment stuff from a competitor. I wouldn’t pay it much mind.” Noting that Hamlin spoke about things in such a way because he was still emotional from not placing where he would want to stand.

BROOKLYN, MICHIGAN, AUGUST 18: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Yahoo! Toyota, walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway on August 18, 2024, in Brooklyn, Michigan. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images) )Looking at how Hamlin has performed in the playoffs in the past, another commenter found a pattern. They explained, “If he’s wiped out after Kansas, don’t bet the rent money on him at Talladega! It seems like this is a yearly issue.” With that said, all enthusiasts who are into betting, were advised to hold back their wagers. Another fan summed up everything that is bothering Denny Hamlin, saying, “My man is frustrated with charters, frustrated with who’s his third car, and frustrated he should have finished better.” With so much pressure on his head, they thought this was one of his outbursts from being overstressed about the season.

What do you think of Denny Hamlin’s reaction to the Kansas race and the spot he is in right now? Share in the comments below.