This is one of four feature stories on the finalists — Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, William Byron and Chase Briscoe — competing for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Championship on Sunday at Phoenix.Denny Hamlin, once again attempting to win an elusive Cup title, will still have a rental place for his friends and a place for his family in Phoenix for the season finale.He won’t dwell on the past, both from recent weeks (parts failures) and years ago (missed championship opportunities), as he prepares for what could be the biggest weekend of his career. Will Denny Hamlin show the world he is a champion on this weekend? Hamlin, 44, is the most successful Cup Driver without a Championship. He’s heard about this potential weekend many times, only to be disappointed. He’ll prepare himself as best he can, and hope for another win, as well as an epic party, surrounded by his family and friends.”I’m going to have fun with it just like I would any week,” Hamlin told FOX Sports on Tuesday. “I would have probably had this” [multiple home rentals] Had we not made it to the Championship. I feel even more happy knowing that more of my friends and family are with me.”I want them to have the same experience as I do.”His friends and family haven’t asked him about whether this will be the year. Hamlin needs to finish higher than Kyle Larson Chase Briscoe William Byron and William Byron at the final Sunday at Phoenix Raceway if he wants to win. Hamlin is on pace to have a season’s best six wins this year. Hamlin’s team hopes to celebrate a championship at Phoenix. Hamlin explained, “They never talk about it with me.” “I think that we’ve been more positive than anything else. … Positive vibes are the only way to go. We’re keeping positive.”I’m in a great headspace to feel confident going into the game. I am preparing myself to win.”How can Hamlin remain positive?” In his last five races he had throttle cable issues, starter problems, engine and power-steering issues. Every time he has gotten close in his career (this is his fifth Champ 4 and he nearly won the title in 2010 before this current format) he either didn’t perform, had a bad pit decision (who can forget that big piece of tape on his grille in 2019) or another issue.Hamlin explained that when he is in a good mental state, he can focus on the practice and not worry about finishing 15th. “I’m confident that, as long as everything remains in place, we’ll be a contender for a win.It would be like every weekend when we’d hit a short and flat track. We’re in the mix. And this weekend will be no different, and any of the variables that I can’t change or the team can’t change, that’s part of the sport. And we’re going to have to live with the result because we can’t change it.” Hamlin will he have another victory by 2025? His boss is confident that they will be well prepared.Joe Gibbs said, “He is very dedicated to his sim and preparation.” “A veteran like him, his experience is really valuable. So, hopefully, it will show that our sport is tough. [younger drivers] It’s hard to believe how difficult our sport is. “You need to be able reach the final four. We did that with Denny. Now you have one race, and you’ve got to make it happen.Hamlin believes he’s done all he can to make this happen on his recent trips. He was at the Champ 4 in 2014. 2019, 2020, and 2021. In any of these years, he has never finished higher than third in the four finalist positions.Hamlin stated, “I was very satisfied the last two or three times we were in Champ 4, that there wasn’t anything else I could have done.” In 2010, for example, there were things I could have done differently to alter the outcome of my championship results.”But I don’t think I have learned much from my past Championship 4 failures that I can apply to this one. It’s been quite a while since we made the Champ 4! Since then, we’ve won a lot of races. This assures me we are very capable.” Denny Hamlin is chasing the NASCAR championship with “positive vibes”. This will be Hamlin’s third attempt to win the title at the flat, 1-mile Phoenix oval but the first in the Next Gen car. Teams had more of an ability in the previous version of car to tailor it toward a driver’s needs.Because he won the opening race of the semifinal round at Las Vegas, Hamlin has had more time to focus on Phoenix the last few weeks.Hamlin stated that, “pre-Next Gen,” you had to rely on your team in order to create an excellent rocket ship. “There were so much that could be tweaked in the final weeks that was really huge.This time around you will not be a lot different than you have been week after week, but all the other small details make a difference. We’ve now had more time to examine the details.”With the extra time, that hasn’t increased any conversations about finally winning the title. Hamlin crew chief Chris Gayle, entering his first Champ 4 in this role, has talked with Hamlin about how he wants to approach the week.Other than that, it’s just trying to be as prepared as possible.Gayle explained, “We didn’t discuss winning it.” “We know we’re now in it, so let’s do all we can to win.” But nothing has been said. ‘I would love to win it by this amount’ The following are some examples of how to use ‘This is really a big thing to me.'”I think that’s kind of the unsaid elephant in the room. We all know that we all want to win it, whether it’s your first time, like me or Denny’s [fifth].”If he does win the title, it would be one of the most ironic. Hamlin’23XI Racing is involved in a bitter case against NASCAR. Two days of settlement negotiations last week didn’t result in a deal, and the sides are headed to a Dec. 1 trial.Hamlin said he wouldn’t feel awkward having NASCAR brass hand him the trophy.Hamlin stated that he had seen the NASCAR officials as often as ever in the past few weeks. It’s just that I was wearing a different suit and they were in their regular suits.”And I don’t believe [it will be awkward]. I have a lot of respect for those guys. It’s an entirely different issue from what we’re battling on the track this weekend.Bob Pockrass reports on NASCAR, INDYCAR and FOX Sports. He has covered motorsports for decades, including more than 30 Daytona 500s. He worked at ESPN, Sporting News magazine, NASCAR Scene magazine, and The (Daytona Beach News-Journal). Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
2025-10-29 17:25:25
‘Positive Vibes Only’ for Denny Hamlin as He Chases Elusive Title
