With two unexpected drivers in the playoffs joining at the last moment, the season has taken an unexpected turn. While many believed that consistency is key, drivers like Harrison Burton and Chase Briscoe proved them wrong. As Kyle Busch loses his spot to both of these drivers, fans are wondering if these drivers have a shot at the championship.

Although both Chase Briscoe and Harrison Burton made it into the playoffs by beating Busch on the last lap of the race, fans question how well they will do in the playoffs. It’s not only fans anymore as Denny Hamlin joins in the conversation to talk about the playoffs ahead in which any driver can win.

Denny Hamlin talks about the surprising playoff line-up

Now, with all the regular season races concluded, we have our top 16 drivers for the season. With Harrison Burton jumping up 20 positions on the grid and Briscoe up by 5, fans are wondering if they have a shot at making it to the top 4. In the Actions Detrimental episode following the Darlington race, Denny Hamlin discusses just that.

Analyzing the field, Denny Hamlin said, “Certainly, you know, the field is kind of spread out. You do have all four Hendrick, all four JGR cars, and then you’ve got some, you know, one or two from each organization here and there, a couple of Penske cars. So it’s going to be a wild playoffs, no doubt about it. I think the schedule more lends itself to being, you know, pretty wild playoffs than anything.”

He speaks of the consistent playoff drivers saying, “Looking at the top 10, the cars that made it—I’m saying those cars because, in a way, I’m penciling them in every year. It’s like, okay, these four Gibbs cars are going to be in contention for the top 10 points; these four Hendrick cars are always going to be good, and at least two Penske cars, the 12 and the 22, are always going to be good.”

Being a team owner himself, Hamlin spoke about how different teams go with different strategies. Asking, “Where do you invest your money?” Hamlin continues to discuss if the right strategy to win is to invest in being a consistent team that wins a race every year. Comparing the parts of all the cars, he questions the system, asking, “How do you break into that top 10 if you’re not going to win?”

The Coke Zero Sugar winner was brought up by Hamlin when he said, “Harrison Burton, right, he wasn’t in contention to win any races, but he won Daytona, right? Because it’s a wildcard race, which is one where, you know, pretty much anyone with an engine and four tires rolling at the end has a shot to win. So, you know, maybe the eggs are in that basket for them.”

Looking at Burton’s win, the topic of ‘winning the lucky race’ came up as he questioned if teams should go all in every season to remain consistent, or use limited resources for a chance at the playoffs once every 3 years. However, consistency in NASCAR started another conversation as Hamlin discussed all the possible scenarios for a team.

Hamlin discusses the luck factor in NASCAR

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Denny Hamlin was asked how many teams are consistent with their performance every week. By consistent they mean teams that are trying to be in the top 10 in points every week and not make it to the playoffs by “luck” like Harrison Burton and Chase Briscoe did. In response to this, Hamlin explained how no team wants to luck into making it into the playoffs. According to him, all the teams are putting out the best car they can.

Factors like the track type, funds, and sponsorships come into play as every team strives to do their best, including the back marker teams, Hamlin added. He mentioned how teams like Spire Motorsports were falling behind along with Rick Ware Racing, but he sees those teams picking up pace too. Considering that, he explained how other teams, despite not being consistent, have Cinderella stories like Harrison Burton and Chase Briscoe.

Taking all this into consideration, do you think that these surprise entries have a chance of making it into the final rounds of the playoffs? Share your thoughts in the comments below.