As Denny Hamlin crossed the line to win in Dover after an intense battle with Kyle Larson in the final few laps, he booked his spot in the playoffs for the 18th time. For the 18th time in 19 seasons. What did he say after? “I know I’m a championship-caliber driver… I think there’s been worse drivers win a championship than me. I just feel that way just because of things that have worked out.”

Year after year, as Joe Gibbs Racing driver makes it to the playoffs, he’s met with this question: Will this season finally be the one where he wins his first Cup title? And year after year, that chance eludes him, sometimes due to reasons beyond his control. Did you know he’s had the most Championship 4 appearances (4) without being crowned champion? But that’s the unfortunate reality of the format.

A driver could dominate the entire season, but in the end, some part of it comes down to luck. And Hamlin hasn’t been too lucky in that department. Imagine fans of the sport rooting for NASCAR’s “villain.” That’s what it comes to now, especially as the No. 11 driver gets closer to his retirement. Discussing Hamlin’s situation, Jeff Burton brought up his personal experience of not having a title and how it affected him.

Recalling the 2006 season in a conversation on NBC, Burton said, “I went into Martinsville with a pretty decent lead. We broke an engine and, coming home, I don’t know why, but I kind of knew that was it.” Following that engine failure, he fell to fifth in the standings. From there on, he never really recovered, courtesy of poor finishes in subsequent races.

“I was saying all the right things, and I was believing all the right things, but deep inside of me, I had a moment where I went, ‘It’s not going to happen.’ And unfortunately, that sinking feeling was correct,” the 57-year-old added, as reported on the Beating and Banging YouTube channel. Jeff Burton believes that’s what Hamlin is going through.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has won 54 Cup races in his career. That’s the second-most among active drivers and 12th on the all-time list. Referring to this, Burton continued, “You do start wondering, ‘Am I going to get it done?’ As good as he is, as many good things as he’s done, that’s the thing that’s left. And he says the right things. He says that’s not going to define his career.” At least, that’s what he said after winning in Dover this year.

“I care about wins and winning every single week because, in the end, I absolutely would take 60-some wins and no championship over 20 and 1 [championship]. It’s just not even close.” However, while Denny Hamlin may put up this strong front for the media week-in and week-out, Burton spoke from experience. “I can tell you from a guy that didn’t win a championship, it’s damn hard to get over it. Even at my age now, it still bothers me that I never won a championship.”

Jeff Burton is known as a legend in the NASCAR scene, and despite the respect and fame he has earned for his run, he still regrets not winning the title during his time. Especially in 2006, when he won the pole for four races, including the Daytona 500. Today, Burton is 57, and despite all the time that has gone by, he still thinks about his missed chances at the title. However, he does have 21 career victories in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Coming back to Denny Hamlin and his championship prospects. He may have made it into the Round of 8 in the playoffs, but right now, he sits in the elimination zone. So that begs the question: will he be able to pull through and win the title this year?

How can Denny Hamlin win the title in 2024?

Denny Hamlin has a few good things going on for him as he enters the Round of 8. Not only is he just 8 points below the cutoff, but luck is on his side, as all four upcoming races are on ovals. If there is one thing that Hamlin is confident about, it’s racing on the conventional NASCAR format tracks. With the upcoming tracks being all speedways, there is a chance that Hamlin can get out of the elimination zone and fight for the Championship 4.

Unfortunately, though, he has not been able to win a race in any of the four circuits left on the calendar (Las Vegas, Homestead-Miami, Martinsville, Phoenix) ever since the Next Gen cars were introduced. This makes it seem difficult for him to be able to clinch a win to head into the Championship 4. In the next three races, he’ll be going up against Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, and William Byron.

That said, although Hamlin hasn’t won on any of the upcoming tracks in a couple of years, he has placed in the top 10, except for the 2023 Homestead-Miami race. The No. 11 driver started the season strong, but he fell off in the middle only to find his momentum during the playoffs. Considering this, do you think that Hamlin can surprise fans by fighting his way into the Championship 4 and winning the title? Share your thoughts in the comments!