Reflecting on his ill-fated championship run, considering his troubles in Homestead, Denny Hamlin lets out a painful admission as he gets lost out on the championship chase despite being on top of his game. He has had it all including his 3-time triumphs over the crown jewel Daytona 500 & Southern 500 except for one – the championship title. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has been often lauded as the “best to never win a title”, a moniker that vexes the 42-year-old given his 18-season-long illustrious career in the Cup Series.
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Sunday’s final playoff race was another instance of the #11 driver’s misfortune. From echoing his swagger in Bristol, deeming this as his year to being knocked out of the championship fray, NASCAR’s “villain’s” journey has his fans in tears.
Dejected Denny Hamlin reveals his thoughts with a heavy heart following the Martinsville disappointment
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“I’m content,” said the 42-year-old driver who was knocked sideways after Sunday’s race. The JGR had the right equipment and the momentum but never the luck on his side as he yet again missed out on the final route to the championship. While it was Ross Chastain whose “Hail Melon” edged out the veteran last year at Martinsville, this time the #11 driver came short as Ryan Blaney put on a clinic in the penultimate race of the playoff rounds.
Sunday’s Xfinity 500 will mark the 5th straight year where the “villain” has missed out on his championship shot. Despite being on top of his game, coming into the championship fray in the top 5, ill fate has yet again squashed the driver’s hopes after a dismal run in Homestead that required the driver to win the final race in Martinsville.
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Subsequently, after finishing 3rd in the 500-lap race, the #11 driver was knocked out of the tournament along with his teammate, Martin Truex Jr. Coming into the playoff rounds, except for a couple of stints, Hamlin has been one of the if not the most consistent drivers on the field with wind in his sails with 5 top 5 finishes out of the 9 playoff races.
Speaking on his popular Action Detrimental podcast, the veteran vented out his frustration on his co-host Jared Allen, saying, “This is going to be five straight years of being in the top 5 of points. You know I got such a great team and you know what else could I do?” Furthermore, the driver added, “I drove the car to the most of its capability this weekend, we finished, you know had a 52-point day, we just had too big of a hole from the power steering issue at Homestead. So, I mean what can I do?”
“I’ve had years where this thing has slipped through and felt like I’ve had a bigger role in, you know not getting it done but I mean, just over the last literally 5 years there’s nothing more I could’ve done differently to get a different result,” said the driver painfully reflecting on his ill-fate.
Hamlin takes a dig at the reigning champion, Joey Logano after ending his day on a sour note
The #11 Toyota had the speed needed for the win but not the luck it deserved to be in the final 4. On Sunday, Hamlin raced like his life was on the line, acing stage 1, the veteran came 2nd in the 2nd stage and finished 3rd in the race but that simply wasn’t enough to get him a spot in the championship picture.
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Disappointed in himself, Hamlin shifted the focus, taking a sly jab at his former rival and reigning champion, Joey Logano. As Jordan Bianchi tweeted the veteran’s explicit remarks on the radio, the veteran wasn’t happy with the way Logano was racing, bringing up the 5th caution of the day.
“F***ing Joey (Logano), he’s a f***ing piece of sh** human.”
Denny Hamlin
— Jordan Bianchi (@Jordan_Bianchi) October 29, 2023
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According to Autoweek, the JGR driver said, “I don’t love the way the #22 (Logano) was racing guys that had earned their position to race for a championship, he’s kind of knocking guys out of the way.”
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