What’s most spectacular about Denny Hamlin in 2026 isn’t what he’s doing however what he theoretically may have accomplished.
A lot to his chagrin.
Give it some thought: Dover this 12 months was the All-Star Race so it doesn’t technically rely however then Hamlin appeared poised to win the Coca-Cola 600 earlier than the rain negated what appeared to be a race profitable move on Daniel Suarez.
He’s gained three in a row now at Nashville, Michigan and Pocono, and even earlier than the All-Star Race, he completed second at Texas to Chase Elliott. There are not any scarcity of shoulda, coulda and wouldas in NASCAR. In spite of everything, Christopher Bell may stake a declare to a number of of them this 12 months as nicely, however the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 workforce is clearly the workforce to beat in all places that isn’t a street course.
It is a driver that suffered the largest skilled adversity of his profession within the championship race at Phoenix in November adopted by the largest private adversity in dropping his father in a home hearth in December.
His enterprise accomplice at 23XI Racing, Michael Jordan, type of challenged him within the remaining days of the low season.
“I’ll always remember Michael, when he addressed 23XI within the low season, he says, ‘What I am to see is what does Denny do.’ He mentioned, ‘after what occurred in Phoenix, you both decide your self up and also you reply otherwise you fold. We’ll discover out.’
“He is discovering out.”
4 races into the season, Hamlin was eleventh and 118 factors behind Reddick for the championship lead. Reddick has only one DNF this season and over the past 12 races so it speaks volumes that Hamlin has now reduce that championship hole to 19 with 9 races left within the common season.
Keep in mind, the highest seeded common season driver will start the 10-race Chase for the Championship with a 25-point benefit over the second-place driver and 35 over third; 40 over fourth and so-on.
Not that it issues, as a result of Hamlin may be very adamant that after so many bitter championship defeats, all he cares about is profitable races till his anticipated retirement on the finish of subsequent season.
Actually as Hamlin crossed the road, crew chief Chris Gayle advised him they have been inside 20 factors, and Hamlin shot again that ‘profitable is all that issues’ and praised the workforce for giving him automobiles able to doing it.
He maintained that stance throughout his press convention after the race.
“I am simply at this level in my profession attempting to stack as many wins as potential,” Hamlin mentioned. “Factors, no matter. Wherever we end within the championship, no matter. To me it is like ‘wins, wins, wins.’ What’s your win proportion? That is what I actually, actually am attempting to proceed on a run.”
Hamlin says everybody desires to have the ability to sweep all 36 races, a digital impossibility, however ‘it’s loopy’ that he’s actually been aggressive sufficient to just do that over the primary half of this marketing campaign.
“Yeah, we gained 4, however man, we may simply have rather a lot proper now,” Hamlin mentioned. “So, I do not know. I do not assume I’ve had a 12 months the place it has been this wild and loopy having the ability to execute. That has been the largest distinction. The final month in comparison with earlier within the season, the velocity isn’t any completely different, it is simply that the execution is healthier.”
The success, and wins, are even beginning to grate on a fanbase that’s absolutely skilled sizzling stretches earlier than throughout Johnson, Gordon, Earnhardt, Petty and Pearson, however that is additionally Denny Hamlin.
You realize, host of the Actions Detrimental podcast, and somebody who says ‘speaking shit is my superpower.’ The irony this 12 months is that Hamlin truly isn’t speaking quite a lot of shit this 12 months. He’s simply profitable races.
However once more, Hamlin was motivated by the best sportsman of all-time in February.
“Effectively, I imply, when it occurred, I am contemporary off of quite a lot of shit going unhealthy, proper,” Hamlin mentioned. “I am displaying up on the workforce assembly. We’re there to provide our motivational speech to 23XI on the season, defining what your expectations are as house owners, problem our guys to get higher.”
Hamlin says Jordan reminded him that even His Airness went by adversity and parental loss. So Hamlin has been motivated by that, and even those who nonetheless boo or tweet him, as a result of he hears and reads it too.
“I feel identical to all the things else, if it is booze or it is trolls on social media, that is gasoline for me,” Hamlin mentioned. “They do not know they’re simply fueling me. When you’re rooting towards me, you are not doing it the proper method.
“At that time when he mentioned he was to see what occurs, I thought of {that a} problem at that time.”
Michael Jordan is discovering out and so are we.
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– The Motorsport.com Staff
