Mark Martin recently discussed Denny Hamlin's ability to retain tires throughout the race and make them less worn. Moreover, the five-time Cup championship runner-up Martin claimed Hamlin can maintain the speed and not "abuse" the tires on short tracks.The Joe Gibbs Racing driver Hamlin is on his way for the final race of the Round of 16 at Bristol Motor Speedway. The #11 Toyota driver locked himself onto the playoff with the win at Bristol earlier this season. However, with two races in the 2024 playoffs, the 43-year-old is six points below the playoff cutline after two underwhelming performances at Atlanta and Watkins Glen.In a recent conversation on the On the Mark podcast, former NASCAR driver Martin commended Hamlin's exceptional ability to prolong the use of tires, especially the rear tires which take the most heat on the short tracks. Martin said:"Denny Hamlin will be the man to beat. There's nobody really in his league as far as consistently being able to nurse tires and make them make them less. I mean, he's just the best at Martinsville and Richmond."Furthermore, the co-host Justin asked NASCAR Hall of Famer Martin how to save a tire. In response, the 65-year-old praised Hamlin and said:"The rear tires take more abuse than the front. And Denny has a way of not using those rear tires and being able to make them last longer while still keeping their speed. Like for me, the only way I knew how to go faster is to give it more gas. And I wasn't good at Martinsville, but Denny can make speed without abusing those rear tires at Martinsville at Richmond. And of course, if you've got a tire that goes away like the Bristol tire did, then Bristol comes into play the same way."Not only did Martin believe that Denny Hamlin would be the man to beat at the upcoming short track race but another former NASCAR driver claimed the three-time Daytona winner Hamlin would be "very good" at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 21."They can go there and win" - Kevin Harvick on Bristol being the gateway to next round for Denny HamlinIn a recent episode of Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour podcast, the former Cup Series champion Harvick believes the 0.533-mile Bristol track could be a turning point for Denny Hamlin.With 54 Cup victories under his belt, Hamlin is still without a championship title. However, a win or an impressive result could bring back the lost momentum for Hamlin who is on the lookout for his maiden championship title after two disappointing finishes.Speaking on the podcast, Harvick deemed the Bass Pro Shops Nights race at Bristol could be a game changer for Hamlin. He said:"Going to Bristol, obviously, Denny Hamlin is very good there. Bristol is going to be interesting. If you're Hamlin, you can point your way in, but I think it'd be a lot easier if you won your way in." [0:23]Reflecting on Hamlin's recent performances, Harvick added:"When you look back at just the driver strategy to go out and at Atlanta and just try to race for 20 points, and then everything that's happened, all the drama, it just derailed the 11 car off the tracks. I think they can go to Bristol and put it back on the track, and they can go there and win."