Denny Hamlin’s playoff hopes are hanging by a thread after a tough race at Watkins Glen, where he finished 23rd, dealing a serious blow to his chances of advancing. Currently sitting in 13th place in the NASCAR Series playoffs, Hamlin faces the looming possibility of elimination, along with Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., and Harrison Burton. With Bristol Motor Speedway being the final race in this playoff round, it’s do or die for Hamlin. His performance at Bristol will determine whether he moves on to the Round of 12 or falls short.
At the beginning of the playoffs, things were looking much brighter for Hamlin. He entered the race in Atlanta ranked sixth in the standings, but a wreck during the race dropped him to 11th. Earning only 13 points in that race was a setback, but his performance at Watkins Glen made things even worse. He slipped further down the rankings, landing in 13th place, now among the bottom four drivers. To continue in the playoffs, Hamlin will have to deliver a strong performance at Bristol, a track where he’s had great success in the past. In 34 starts there, he has an average finish of 13.6 and has won in his last two appearances, giving him hope for a turnaround.
What makes Hamlin’s current situation even more surprising is that he’s the only driver with multiple wins this season who is sitting outside the top 10 in the standings. At 43 years old, Hamlin is just six points behind the cutoff for advancing to the next round. William Byron, who also has three wins this season, is currently holding onto that critical 10th spot. Despite being so close, Hamlin’s path to the next round won’t be easy, especially after his struggles at Watkins Glen.
During the Watkins Glen race, Hamlin faced multiple setbacks. Early on, he got tangled up with Corey Lajoie and Kyle Busch in a crash at the bus stop. This collision left his #11 Toyota Camry badly damaged after being slammed into the Armco barrier before Turn 5. His crew worked quickly to make repairs, and Hamlin managed to get back on the lead lap by the end of Stage 1. However, his troubles weren’t over.
Later, in Stage 3, Hamlin tried an aggressive three-wide move alongside Brad Keselowski and Kyle Larson. This maneuver, through one of the narrowest sections of the track, ended with Hamlin being pushed into the fence. He ended up losing another lap. Despite all these issues, Hamlin kept battling and thanks to a series of yellow flags, he was able to climb back into the top 20. For most of the race, though, he was stuck in the 30s, far from where he needed to be.
Despite these setbacks, Hamlin is far from giving up. After the race, he remained optimistic about his chances going forward. Reflecting on the tough race, he acknowledged the difficulties but emphasized that the playoffs are far from over. In his post-race interview, Hamlin said, “It’s not over yet. It’s not over till the end of Bristol, and obviously, we’re going to a track we know how to perform. I’m really proud of the effort. We ran mid-30s all day long and finished 23rd due to some attrition and a good late restart.”
Hamlin’s words reflect his determination to keep fighting despite the adversity he’s faced so far. He also noted the team’s efforts to keep him in the race at Watkins Glen, pointing out that even though the car was heavily damaged, finishing 23rd was a positive outcome given the circumstances. “Great effort to keep us in it,” he said. “Obviously, the car is just destroyed. To finish 23rd, I guess is a positive. We were in a worse place most of the day, and luckily, we had some attrition at the end that helped us out.”
Hamlin’s history at Bristol and other short tracks, like Richmond where he won earlier this year, gives fans reason to believe he can still make a comeback. With the stakes high and his playoff hopes on the line, Hamlin will need to deliver one of his best performances yet at Bristol.
For NASCAR fans, Denny Hamlin’s situation is both tense and exciting. The playoffs are known for their unpredictability, and while Hamlin has faced more than his fair share of setbacks, his track record shows he has what it takes to make a comeback. If he can channel his past success at Bristol and put together a strong race, he could still advance to the next round and keep his championship dreams alive. But with the competition stiff and no room for error, it will all come down to how he performs in this final race of the round.
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