Denny Hamlin, the veteran NASCAR Cup Series driver, has been candid about his dwindling chances of securing his first championship.

With only three races left in the playoffs and a host of strong contenders still vying for the title, Hamlin believes he needs to secure top finishes in each stage of the remaining races. Despite boasting a successful career with over 54 individual wins driving the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, the Cup Series title has always eluded him.

His closest brush with the championship was in 2010 when he came second to the iconic Jimmie Johnson. As the playoff field narrows from 16 to just four, the pressure to claim the final checkered flags intensifies.

Hamlin is well aware of what it will take to clinch the Cup Series victory he’s been yearning for. “If you want to talk about must-win, it’s probably going to be Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney,” Hamlin said, referring to two drivers who face win-or-go-home situations in the coming weeks.

“But if you’re going to talk about must-run top-three in every stage and the race for the next two weeks, it’s me and [Tyler] Reddick. No exceptions.”

Hamlin’s performance in the playoffs has been erratic, and he acknowledges the need for consistent performance in each stage of the remaining races. “If you don’t run in the top three every stage, that’s four stages and the race, there’s no way we makeup that kind of ground on [William] Byron, [Kyle] Larson, or [Christopher] Bell,” he elaborated. “That’s assuming also that one of them doesn’t have a great week.”

After a regular season where Hamlin secured fifth place overall with three wins, his latest race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway ended in an 8th place finish, falling short of his own high expectations.

Hamlin has his best Playoff finish in Las Vegas ( 

Image:

Getty)

His playoff performance has been inconsistent, with results varying from a high of fourth at Bristol Motor Speedway to a low of 24th at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Here’s a glimpse at his playoff journey so far: Hamlin is not just aiming for the Cup Series title to establish himself as the best.

He also expressed his desire to face the “like to have the problem” of winning in the same year that his team, 23XI Racing – which he co-owns with Michael Jordan – is leading the antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR. “Yeah, I would like to have that problem, truthfully,” he admitted.

“I always say if you have an issue, you cross that bridge when you get there, but it is a problem that I would love to have, but I would understand the responsibilities of a champion and certainly, knowing what I’m representing, I think I would be able to do a good job of separating the two.”