Hendrick Motorsports legend Steve Letarte recently discussed Denny Hamlin's NASCAR legacy after the latter won his 59th Cup Series race. Letarte said that managing 60 wins by the year-end would be a tremendous milestone for Hamlin, akin to being crowned champion. He also observed that while most people are only looking at the elusive NASCAR title, Hamlin has made his own personal goals more tangible. These include reaching 60 career wins, something that he can control and achieve, and which would be a statement of his career excellence.Letarte insisted that despite the lack of an official 'champion' title, Hamlin's steady success and impressive number of wins so far have created a fantastic legacy. He indicated that among the top 20 all-time winners in NASCAR history, only three drivers did not win a championship but are still regarded as legendary.In his segment on Inside the Race, Steve Letarte said:"So for DH, I really think that, you know, everybody asks about the championship while he knows that's the ultimate goal and he would love to have one, I think he is so confident in his career that he wanted to set a goal that he felt like was more, obtainable is the wrong word, but maybe more in his control. I know he hasn't been crowned champion, but when you win 60 races, like your championship talent, in my mind, even if you don't have the trophy."As of 2025, Denny Hamlin has won 59 NASCAR Cup Series titles, including several of the sport’s most coveted wins, including the Daytona 500 (2016, 2019, 2020), the Coca-Cola 600 (2022), and the Southern 500 (2010, 2017, 2021).Denny Hamlin reveals his true legacy focus, says “championships isn’t one of them”Denny Hamlin recently revealed that his focus is uniquely centered more on race wins than championships. Despite being one of NASCAR’s winningest drivers with 59 career victories and a place just shy of 10th on the all-time wins list, Hamlin has not captured a Cup Series Championship; a fact he acknowledges but chooses not to obsess over.Instead, his career goals emphasize achievements in individual races, where he feels he can leave a longer-lasting mark and legacy through consistent wins, including landmark races like the Daytona 500 and Martinsville. Denny Hamlin expressed the same in a recent interview, where he said:"Not really. It’s always been about number of races. I haven’t thought about (it). The only one I thought about was this year in the Daytona 500, thinking that probably only gonna do this twice more... Brickyards, right? I haven’t won the freaking Brickyard and I’m gonna have two more shots at it and that’s it... So, there are certain races I do have countdowns for. Championships isn’t one of them." (22:54 onwards)Denny Hamlin recently signed a two-year contract extension through 2027, but he has admitted that it most likely will be his 'final one'.