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 prove to the world that he’s a champion this weekend?
The 44-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing driver, whose 60 wins makes him the most successful Cup driver without a championship, has heard the talk about the potential biggest weekend of his career many times only to come up empty.
So he will roll in typical Hamlin fashion. He’ll be as prepared as he can be, while hoping for another victory and what would likely be an epic celebration, while also being surrounded by several friends and family.
“I’m going to have fun with it just like I would any week,” Hamlin told FOX Sports on Tuesday. “I probably would have had this [multiple home rentals] had we not even made the Championship 4. However it simply makes it extra gratifying to me when my pals are round and extra household.
“Clearly, I need them to expertise the entire week like I’m.”
His family and friends haven’t requested him about whether or not this would be the 12 months. Hamlin has to complete higher than Kyle Larson, Chase Briscoe and William Byron within the finale Sunday at Phoenix Raceway as a way to win the title. Hamlin has a season-best six victories this 12 months.
Hamlin and group hope to have fun a championship in victory lane at Phoenix.
“They actually do not speak to me about it,” Hamlin mentioned. “I believe we have extra simply been optimistic. … Optimistic vibes solely. We’re staying optimistic.
“I definitely am in a extremely good head house to really feel like I am entering into there with a variety of confidence. I am getting ready to win, not lose.”
How can Hamlin be optimistic?
He has had throttle cable, starter, engine and energy steering points within the final 5 occasions. Each time he has gotten shut in his profession (that is his fifth Champ 4 and he practically gained the title in 2010 earlier than this present format) he both didn’t carry out, had a foul pit choice (who can overlook that large piece of tape on his grille in 2019) or one other situation.
“Once I’m in a greater psychological house, it places me in a greater house once I get in that automotive and I’m going into apply to not fear about being fifteenth in apply or fifteenth in qualifying,” Hamlin mentioned. “I am very assured that so long as issues do keep collectively, we’ll be contending for a win.
“It might be identical to each different weekend that we hit a brief, flat monitor. We’re within the combine. And this weekend will probably be no completely different, and any of the variables that I can not change or the group can’t change, that’s a part of the game. And we’re going to should stay with the outcome as a result of we are able to’t change it.”
Is yet another victory in retailer for Hamlin in 2025?
His boss feels they are going to be ready.
“He works extraordinarily laborious within the sim, his preparation and every thing,” mentioned group proprietor Joe Gibbs. “A veteran man like him, that sort of expertise actually means lots. So hopefully, our sport is so laborious, it exhibits [younger drivers] how laborious our sport is.
“You have received to have the ability to get to the ultimate 4, which we have accomplished with Denny. Now you’ve got one race, and also you’ve received to make it occur.”
Hamlin feels he has accomplished every thing he might to make it occur in latest journeys. He has been to the Champ 4 in 2014, 2019, 2020 and 2021. He hasn’t completed higher than third among the many 4 finalists in any of these years.
“I have been very content material over the past most likely two to 3 instances that we have been within the Champ 4 that there was nothing else I might do,” Hamlin mentioned. “Definitely early on in my profession, say 2010, there have been some issues that I might have accomplished completely different to alter the result of these championship outcomes.
“However there’s not likely a lot that I discovered from previous failures of Championship 4s that I will carry into this one. It has been a very long time since we have made the Champ 4. A variety of race wins have occurred since then. That assures me that we’re very succesful.”
“Optimistic vibes solely” for Denny Hamlin as he chases the elusive NASCAR title.
This will probably be Hamlin’s third try and win the title on the flat, 1-mile Phoenix oval however the first within the Subsequent Gen automotive. Groups had extra of a capability within the earlier model of automotive to tailor it towards a driver’s wants.
As a result of he gained the opening race of the semifinal spherical at Las Vegas, Hamlin has had extra time to give attention to Phoenix the previous couple of weeks.
“Pre-Subsequent Gen, you simply have been actually relying in your group simply to construct you an absolute rocket ship,” Hamlin mentioned. “There have been so many issues that may very well be tweaked that simply sort of glided by tech within the closing week and was simply big.
“And this time round, what you have received, you are not going to be vastly completely different than what you might be week in, week out, but it surely’s simply all these different little particulars that make the distinction. And hopefully with the additional time that we have had to have a look at the main points.”
With the additional time, that hasn’t elevated any conversations about lastly successful the title. Hamlin crew chief Chris Gayle, getting into his first Champ 4 on this position, has talked with Hamlin about how he needs to method the week.
Apart from that, it’s simply attempting to be as ready as doable.
“We did not discuss successful it,” Gayle mentioned. “Clearly, we all know we’re in it now, so let’s go do every thing we are able to to win it. However it hasn’t been mentioned, ‘I’d like to win it by this quantity’ or ‘That is actually an enormous factor to me.’
“I believe that is sort of the unsaid elephant within the room. Everyone knows that all of us need to win it, whether or not it is your first time, like me or Denny’s [fifth].”
If he does win the title, it might be probably the most ironic. Hamlin’s 23XI Racing and Entrance Row Motorsports are embroiled in a bitter lawsuit towards NASCAR. Two days of settlement negotiations final week didn’t end in a deal, and the edges are headed to a Dec. 1 trial.
Hamlin mentioned he wouldn’t really feel awkward having NASCAR brass hand him the trophy.
“I’ve seen these guys as a lot as I’ve ever seen them over the previous couple of weeks, it is simply been I’ve had a unique swimsuit on, they usually’ve been of their regular fits,” Hamlin mentioned in regards to the negotiations in federal court docket.
“And so I do not assume [it will be awkward]. I’ve received respect for all these guys. And clearly, it is a complete completely different situation than what we’re combating on the racetrack this weekend.”
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports activities. He has spent a long time overlaying motorsports, together with over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting Information, NASCAR Scene journal and The (Daytona Seaside) Information-Journal. Comply with him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
