Denny Hamlin recently explained how the Next Gen car has changed the playoffs by making the field more competitive than in the past.The Joe Gibbs Racing driver with over 700 Cup Series starts has been a consistent contender in the playoffs for nearly two decades. However, the Next Gen car, which was introduced in 2022, has made it harder to gain track position with all cars running at similar speeds. Hamlin's search for a Cup title was also reshaped because of it.The 44-year-old shared the changes in the Cup Series playoffs in recent years because of the Next Gen car during a recent interview with Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass."Everything is just a little bit closer. Track position means a little more. Qualifying means a little bit more. Playoff points are spread out amongst the field. Slightly more than what it's been in the past," said Denny Hamlin."I think, if anything, you're looking at probably the bottom four guys right now chomping at the bit, knowing they're only 20-some points out of the point lead. I think that it's wide open from that stance of where you could have someone very unexpected make it to the Final Four," he added.Hamlin has 58 Cup wins, the most among active drivers and multiple playoff appearances. He will enter the playoffs with four wins and seven other top-5 finishes this season."Just a matter of whether the things we can't control keep us from competing" - Denny Hamlin describes outlook for NASCAR Cup playoffsDuring the same interview with Bob Pockrass, Denny Hamlin also commented on his chances of finally winning the Cup title this year. The No. 11 Toyota driver shared his cautious optimism, drawing on two decades of relentless pursuit."For 20 years I've given, tried to give an explanation of why one year is different than the other, but truthfully they're not different. I'm running as fast as I've ever run. We're winning as many races as anyone in the series. It's just a matter of whether the things we can't control keep us from competing or not," Denny Hamlin said.The first three races of the Cup Series playoffs are set for Darlington Raceway, World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway and Bristol Motor Speedway. Hamlin has been strong at all ovals of the Round of 16. He ties for fourth on the all-time wins list at Darlington with five wins and has two runner-up finishes in his last two starts at the World Wide Technology Raceway.Hamlin also has four wins at Bristol. The last came during the 2024 spring race and the one before during the 2023 playoffs in September.