Denny Hamlin walked into Phoenix Raceway on Sunday looking like a man ready to finally close the deal, as everything had lined up perfectly, and for more than 200 laps, it felt like this would finally be his year, but in the blink of an eye, it all fell apart.
Hamlin looked untouchable this Sunday as the 44-year-old led an incredible 208 laps and seemed to have had complete control of the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race, but with three laps left, a late caution changed everything for him.
What Happened to Denny Hamlin’s in Phoenix Yesterday?
The late caution for William Byron’s crash changed everything as Hamlin suddenly found himself back in traffic after pit stops reshuffled the order, and Kyle Larson took advantage and wound up the highest finisher among the title contenders who hadn’t led a single lap all day, and just like that, Hamlin finished sixth, and his championship dream vanished.
When the race ended, Hamlin sat in his car for some time before climbing out, and fans could see the weight of another near miss on his face. “I really don’t have much for emotion right now,” he said later. “Just numb about it because I’m just in shock.”
His fiancée, Jordan Fish, met him on pit road and wrapped her arms around him while the crew chief joined soon after to console Hamlin, and for a few moments, it was just silence and heartbreak between them.
Hamlin’s name has been part of NASCAR’s championship conversation for nearly two decades, but somehow the title has always slipped away from him. He has finished second before in 2010 when Jimmie Johnson took the crown, and has also been part of the Championship 4 five times since 2016, but has no title yet.
This one hurt even more because it felt so deserved, as Hamlin had worked all season for this shot and had his father in mind throughout the weekend. His dad’s health has been declining sharply, and Hamlin had told reporters earlier that this might be his father’s last chance to see him win it all.
“I know for a fact this is my last chance for my dad to see it,” he said. “I don’t want him going and never getting to see the moment.”
After the race, Gayle summed up by saying, “I know the effort that he put into this one. I know how much time we spent in the sim. I know the time he was looking at stuff, preparing for that qualifying lap weeks ahead. I know that. And that’s what I hate, is I hate that it came down to some chaotic late-race restart where we were the dominant car and didn’t get the win.”
Even Larson, while celebrating his second Cup championship, couldn’t help but feel for Hamlin, “It’s great to celebrate and all that, but it does feel a little awkward because he has put so much time and energy and has been so close to winning so many championships, and this is as close as he’s ever been.”
NASCAR Fans Say It’s Time for Change
As Hamlin processed yet another heartbreak, fans turned their attention toward NASCAR’s playoff format, and many didn’t hold back as social media lit up with angry comments calling the current system “abolished.”
“The playoffs need to be abolished. The most dominant driver in TWO SERIES fell short of the title because of one not so great race,” one fan wrote.
Another added, “And the guy that won the championship led ZERO LAPS today.”
Another fan wrote, “I’m happy for Kyle Larson (and Hendrick’s 15th title) but at the same time… We don’t need a f*****g playoff system.”
While another wrote, “HAMLIN DESERVED THIS. GET RID OF THIS PLAYOFF SYSTEM.”
It’s not hard to see their point here, as for decades, NASCAR had crowned its champion based on season-long performance, where the driver with the most points at the end of the year took home the big trophy, but that changed in 2004 when NASCAR introduced the playoff system.
This system ends with a single winner-take-all race, which is exciting, but it often leaves fans questioning whether it truly rewards the best driver, and Sunday’s race was proof that the system doesn’t reward consistency but luck.
Hamlin recently signed a deal to stay with Joe Gibbs Racing through 2027 and may still have chances left, but if this was his last true run, it will be remembered for how a flawed system snatched away what could have been a career-defining victory.
Maybe it’s finally time for NASCAR to rethink how it crowns a champion, because if a driver leads over 200 laps and still walks away empty-handed, something just doesn’t feel right.