Denny Hamlin’s hopes of clinching the NASCAR Championship slipped through his fingers at Martinsville, and the Joe Gibbs Racing stalwart isn’t hiding his frustration. The three-time Daytona 500 winner had shown championship potential this season, notching three wins early on. But as the pressure of the playoffs mounted, Hamlin’s No. 11 team struggled, leaving him in a must-win scenario heading into Martinsville. Despite a gritty performance, he couldn’t find that elusive “extra gear” needed to secure a spot in the Championship 4.
On his podcast, Hamlin reflected on his disappointment: “I just didn’t have the ‘it’ that I needed… that extra gear to run faster,” he admitted, recounting his desperate attempt to stay in contention and hoping for a late-race caution that might open up a path to the finale. “At that point, I’m just trying to grind it out, waiting for chaos, a restart—anything that could give me a shot.”
But his frustration goes beyond a single race. As co-owner of 23XI Racing, Hamlin also criticized NASCAR’s playoff format, which prioritizes race wins over season-long consistency. “You have that stretch in the middle of the summer where you’re thinking, ‘We’re right there on the verge, we’re one of the top teams.’ But the ‘win and you’re in’ format changes everything… good consistent finishes just don’t get rewarded,” he said, pointing out that the system penalizes drivers who lack flashy wins despite their overall solid performance.
Hamlin’s exit from the Round of 8 marks yet another season where his championship dreams came up short. Now, as he heads into the finale, he may look to play spoiler—or help his 23XI Racing driver, Tyler Reddick, in his bid for the title. For Hamlin, this year’s near-miss is another painful reminder of NASCAR’s current playoff structure and the thin line between victory and elimination.
