Denny Hamlin gives honest take on competing in NASCAR without a championship: “For 20 years, I've tried to give an explanation”

Denny Hamlin has an illustrious career in the NASCAR Cup Series. The Joe Gibbs Racing icon owns 245 top-fives and 371 top-10s, besides being just two wins away from a milestone 60-win mark. However, there’s just one thing missing from his resume: a championship.

Hamlin has made the playoffs 18 times, and on all of those occasions, he has come away without a championship. In fact, he is the longest-tenured driver in the series without the ultimate honor. The closest he has been was back in 2010, when he finished second in the point standings behind former driver and four-time Cup Series champion, Jeff Gordon.

Denny Hamlin has won four races this season and will start his engine this Sunday at Darlington Raceway. That being said, is this his year?

“For 20 years, I've tried to give an explanation of why one year is different than another, but truthfully, they're not different," Hamlin said in a statement. "I'm running as fast as I've ever run. We're winning as many races as anyone in the series.”

2025 is Hamlin’s first year working with Chris Gayle, his new crew chief. However, the Tampa, Florida native wants Gayle to call the shots freely. The team needs to survive each race weekend without making mistakes.

“It's just a matter whether the things we can't control keep us from competing or not. Mistakes will be a big factor. Do I make any mistakes? I don't know. It's all yet to be seen. It’s can you execute? And if we execute at the left-turn (non-road-course) tracks, we're fast enough to go all the way,” Hamlin added.

For now, all eyes are on Darlington, which will host this coming weekend’s race, the Cook Out Southern 500. Fans can watch the race live on USA (6 p.m. ET) or listen to live radio updates on MRN or SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

“He’s done a lot for the sport”- Denny Hamlin’s Hendrick Motorsports rival roots for him ahead of the 2025 playoffs

Denny Hamlin’s fans aren’t the only ones rooting for him in 2025. Hamlin’s fellow Cup Series driver and former champion, Kyle Larson, also wants the former to bag the titular victory this year.

It goes without saying that Larson’s priority remains with himself and his Hendrick Motorsports teammates, who made the playoffs this season. When asked if Hamlin could take home that long-awaited championship this year, Larson replied:

“Every year could be the year for Denny. He’s such a threat every year and everywhere!”

“If I can’t win it or one of my teammates can’t win it, I would love to see him finally get over that hump and get a championship because he deserves it,” Larson added. “He’s done a lot for the sport.”

Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin were tied with three wins each until the latter picked up his final regular-season triumph at Dover on July 20. As things stand, Hamlin sits third in the drivers' standings with 2029 points, while Larson tops the leaderboard with 2032 points.