HMS star heaps praise on Denny Hamlin, says he’s a “threat every year and everywhere” for the NASCAR championship

Hendrick Motorsports Ace Kyle Larson recently sat down with NASCAR analyst Bob Pockrass ahead of the first playoff race and praised Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin. Larson claimed Hamlin to be a "threat" for the championship title.

The NASCAR veteran has secured 58 wins, 245 top-five finishes, 371 top-ten finishes, and 44 pole positions in 711 starts in the Cup Series. Additionally, he led 15,851 laps in his career with an average start of 12.

Despite such impressive starts, Hamlin has never won the Cup Series championship title. The closest he got to winning was in 2010, when he wrapped the season as the runner-up.

However, this year, Denny Hamlin has delivered a remarkable performance. Even at Phoenix Raceway (the championship four race venue), he qualified among the top ten drivers and finished the event as the runner-up.

Even as the oldest driver on the grid, Hamlin has been giving the Cup Series drivers a tough run for their money. Reflecting on the same, Kyle Larson told Bob Pockrass:

"Every year could be the year for Denny." He's such a threat every year and everywhere. He ran good at [championship race site] Phoenix earlier this year — he hasn't really ran that well at Phoenix, I feel like, in quite some time." (via FOXSports.com)

"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. He's done a lot for the sport," he added.

Denny Hamlin is set to compete in the first race of the round of 16, the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Also, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver has won the event three times previously, in 2010, 2017, and 2021.

The 367-lap race is scheduled for Sunday, August 31, 2025. USA, MRN, HBO Max, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90 will broadcast the 501.32-mile race live at 6:00 p.m. ET.

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“It’s driving me crazy”: Denny Hamlin got candid about how NextGen cars forced him to tone down his aggressiveness

NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin is known for his fierce and 'make-no-friends' attitude on the track. However, the introduction of seventh-generation cars forced Hamlin to reassess his aggressiveness.

During an episode of the Action Detrimental podcast, the #11 Toyota Camry XSE driver explained the same. The Gen7 cars have been a major subject of debate for quite some time, and the majority of the NASCAR community wants to make changes to the car.

The NextGen cars were introduced in the 2022 season, featuring a 5.86-liter naturally aspirated V8. Following a five-speed sequential manual transmission. However, the car still lacks building side force, making it hard for drivers like Hamlin to maneuver the car.

Reflecting on the struggles, Denny Hamlin compared the Gen7 to the Gen6 car and stated (via YouTube):

"Last year I laid back because I thought there was going to be a big wreck because I've been in every wreck. I've been in every next-gen superspeedway wreck, and it's driving me crazy. I went through 10 years where I was up front in the Gen 6 car making moves, and like, the wrecks are behind me because that's where the dummies are."[30:10]

Denny Hamlin ranks third in the Cup Series points table with 2029 points to his credit. He has secured four wins, 13 top-ten finishes, 11 top-five finishes, and one pole position in 25 starts this season. Additionally, Hamlin has led 555 laps with an average finish of 13.88.