Denny Hamlin has not gained a NASCAR Cup Collection championship. And he doesn’t want any reminders.
It’s straightforward to level out the one factor lacking from Hamlin’s resume when discussing his profession. A resume, by the way in which, that’s NASCAR Corridor of Fame worthy with out the championship. And it’s straightforward, significantly for a critic, or a troll, to level to the game’s crowning achievement as one thing Hamlin has by no means been ‘ok’ to perform.
However what isn’t as straightforward is to grasp why Hamlin has not gained a Cup Collection championship. And that’s what involves thoughts when giving Hamlin the possibility to consider what he hates having to speak about with regards to his title aspirations.
“It’s laborious generally as a result of there’s been years the place it’s like, ‘Nicely, what occurred?’’ Hamlin instructed RACER. “We don’t have sufficient time in a day for me to clarify to you what occurred. There are simply so many issues to the game which might be laborious to clarify and so many issues… I simply don’t know if there’s one other sport the place issues are out of your management as a lot as this one. I attempt to consider one other sport the place there are extra variables, and I simply can’t discover one.”
The defeats, and what has at occasions been downright unbelievable misfortune, has led Hamlin to proclaim he’s “[expletive] cursed” with regards to the championship hunt. Through the Netflix docuseries launched in January, Hamlin made such a remark, and felt the identical means in August after his workforce was penalized for an engine infraction by Toyota that value them 75 driver factors and 10 playoff factors.
If not cursed, then Hamlin’s profession has actually been snakebitten. Hamlin misplaced the championship within the 2010 finale after giving up a piece of factors within the penultimate race when his workforce pitted him for gasoline. Jimmie Johnson, Hamlin’s closest rival, completed within the prime 5 and lower the hole to fifteen factors. Hamlin had led essentially the most laps that afternoon.
Per week later, Johnson gained the championship. Hamlin didn’t qualify nicely and spun in the course of the occasion, damaging his automotive and placing him behind all afternoon.
In 2014, Hamlin completed third within the championship within the first yr of the elimination format. A yr later, 2015, he was eradicated at Talladega Superspeedway when his roof hatch got here free and required a pit cease.
Hamlin’s 2019 championship hopes have been derailed by some tape on the grille that triggered his automotive to overheat on the season finale. Nigel Kinrade/Motorsport Photographs
Hamlin gained six races in 2019 and went into the Homestead finale with momentum after having gained the weekend earlier than at Phoenix Raceway. Because the race wound down, Hamlin was operating second and was faster than Kyle Busch when the ultimate spherical of pit stops modified every thing. Chris Gabehart had the very best intentions – velocity – when instructing the workforce to place tape on the grille of Hamlin’s Toyota. However as an alternative of serving to, the misplaced piece of tape triggered an overheating drawback and resulted in Hamlin having to come back again to pit highway.
Ross Chastain eradicated Hamlin from the playoffs in 2022 with what’s now often called the Hail Melon. The transfer gave Chastain the positions he wanted to advance to the Championship 4 at Hamlin’s expense.
And final yr, Hamlin was eradicated within the Spherical of 8 due partly to an influence steering failure at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He completed fifth within the championship.
Hamlin has completed within the prime 4 within the championship standings six occasions in his profession. In these seasons, he gained a mixed 26 races. In 2010, which was earlier than the elimination format, he led the sequence in wins (eight). In 2019 and 2020, he had the second-most wins within the sequence (six and 7, respectively).
The primary two rounds of the 2024 playoffs have continued the development of intrigue round Hamlin and the way it may also finish.
An ill-handling automotive within the opener at Atlanta after qualifying within the rear due to a spark plug concern, coupled with a cautious method, led to a small factors acquire. He was collected in a primary lap crash every week later at Watkins Glen. The pit crew struggled all through the afternoon in Kansas. A two-tire name at Talladega practically backfired however it ended up placing Hamlin far sufficient behind the sector that he missed the 27-car wreck and wound up gaining factors.
Hamlin continues to be alive, although, and feeling as assured as ever given the tracks forward.
“Over time, I’ve [become] at peace with doing the very best that I can do and never letting failure simply utterly drag me down,” Hamlin stated. “I’ve had it additionally [happen] so many occasions that once you stroll over burnt coals, ultimately your toes scar up and that scar tissue hardens and also you don’t really feel the ache anymore. So, perhaps that’s taking place, too.
“I don’t know. I hate making an attempt to clarify why it hasn’t occurred. There are simply too many loopy issues I’d have to clarify.”
