Denny Hamlin was viewed as a major obstacle to Kyle Larson’s championship hopes throughout the regular season. However, recent challenges like the Toyota Racing Development (TRD) engine issue and a shaky start to the playoffs have seen Hamlin lose momentum. A team once consistently competing for wins each weekend suddenly found itself fighting just to gather enough points to advance to the next round.
On the other hand, Kyle Larson managed to push through his difficulties, claiming a commanding victory at Bristol Motor Speedway last weekend. The 0.533-mile track, which had been considered one of Hamlin’s strongest, saw no signs of him challenging for the win. The pressure was certainly on for the Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) driver, who had to put together a solid race following poor results in the previous two outings.
The question now is: What’s next for Hamlin? Can he return to his competitive form and challenge Larson on the track? Kevin Harvick believes Hamlin will need to adopt a more aggressive mindset if he wants to stay in the championship fight. According to Harvick, Hamlin has to emerge from his defensive posture and go on the offensive to make a run for the title this year.
Hamlin hasn’t just been battling on the racetrack—he’s been juggling several other challenges. The engine penalty hit him hard, costing him valuable bonus points and forcing him to focus more on accumulating points rather than aiming for wins. Atlanta was a prime example of this shift in strategy. Adding to his burdens, Hamlin’s 23XI Racing team has been in contentious negotiations with NASCAR over the charter agreement. It’s clear that Hamlin has a lot going on beyond the immediate pressures of the playoffs.
Now that Hamlin has survived the first playoff round, Harvick wants to see him return to his aggressive style, challenging for victories. Harvick emphasized this on episode 59 of the *Happy Hour* podcast, saying, “Denny Hamlin and Chris Gabehart—those guys are offense players. I wanna see them on offense, battling for the lead, controlling the race. I’d still rather see him up front battling Kyle Larson and taking the chances to win the races.”
Harvick’s sentiment is that if there’s anyone who could throw a wrench in Larson’s championship ambitions, it’s Hamlin. The two have raced for wins in the 1-2 positions six times, and Hamlin has come out on top each time. His recent victory at Dover serves as a reminder that Hamlin is still a formidable title contender. Yet, Harvick believes Hamlin needs to recapture that fire soon before it’s too late.
“I don’t believe you can win the championship with Denny Hamlin playing defensively,” Harvick added. “They got scared after the first two rounds, the way things went at Atlanta and Watkins Glen. But I believe those guys can go back to being aggressive; I don’t wanna see them just playing for points.”
Interestingly, even before Harvick voiced his thoughts, Hamlin hinted at a potential comeback following the Bristol race. While Hamlin wasn’t in a position to fight for the win at Bristol against Larson, his goal was to avoid trouble and finish the race cleanly. Now that the playoff points have reset, Hamlin has an opportunity to take control and aim for dominance in the upcoming races. Luckily for him, the next race is at Kansas Speedway—a track where Hamlin has consistently performed well.
In the Next-Gen car era, Hamlin has finished within the top 5 at Kansas, including a win in last year’s spring race. Kansas, a 1.5-mile intermediate track, is one of Hamlin’s strong suits, and Larson is also a strong performer at mile-and-a-half venues. Fans are eagerly awaiting the showdown between the two rivals this weekend.
As for Hamlin’s race strategy, it’s clear he’s ready to move past his recent struggles and get back to battling on the track. “It’s all offense from this point moving forward,” Hamlin said during a post-race interview at Bristol. “We’re going to Kansas, a track we’ve been really good at, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the run.”
The Larson-Hamlin rivalry has been a major storyline this season, and Kansas could be the stage where the battle intensifies once again. Fans are hoping for an exciting showdown between these two championship contenders as the playoffs continue to heat up.
Kevin Harvick Pressures ‘Butt Scared’ Denny Hamlin to Battle Kyle Larson’s Juggernaut With Big Demands
