Chase Briscoe has suggested that Denny Hamlin may well be the best NASCAR driver yet to win a championship. The proclamation comes amid Hamlin's 11th consecutive appearance in the elimination-style playoffs without the elusive title under his belt.Hamlin has built a Hall of Fame resume with 58 career wins, 245 top-fives, and 371 top-10s, yet the championship column remains empty. He has always fallen short of the title despite reaching the championship round four times.Despite the drought, Hamlin has won in 19 of his 20 full-time seasons and remains one of the series' most consistent contenders. He enters this year's playoffs with 23 points over the cutoff line and is tied with Shane van Gisbergen as the most winningest driver so far.Reflecting upon Hamlin's chances, Briscoe laid a bold claim about his status in the sport."If Denny won it all, I'd be super happy for him. You don't win as many races as you do without deserving to be a champion, and Denny, arguably, is the best of all time without a championship," he said via Fox Sports.Chase Briscoe, meanwhile, is on a career-defining run himself. He enters the playoffs ranked eighth with four points above the cutoff. In only his debut year with Joe Gibbs Racing, the Indiana native has earned 10 top-fives, a win, and six poles.Chase Briscoe confident in his own chances at the titleChase Briscoe has had quite a year behind the No.19 Toyota. Compared to his time at Stewart Haas Racing, the 30-year-old has consistently run among the frontrunners and came close to a win three times this season. His average finish has been bolstered as a result, coming in at an impressive 10.3.Following the same, Briscoe opened up about his mental state heading into the playoffs."I was telling my wife that a couple of weeks ago, this is really the first time I've ever legitimately thought I could win a Cup championship. In the past, I can make the playoffs and it's exciting. But down deep, you kind of know that the odds of you winning are pretty slim, right?," he said via X/Peter Stratta."Where now, not to say that I'm in favor by any means, but I feel like I have a legitimate chance to go do it. Where at SHR, you never really felt like you had a legitimate shot to do it," he added.Chase Briscoe recently answered a fan question about his lack of wins this season. The JGR driver acknowledged that he had the pace to grab wins, but was bereft of the right 'circumstances' to help secure them. The last time he finished second was when he began on pole at Iowa. He'd led 81 laps before season leader William Byron ended up with the win after leading 141 laps.