Joe Gibbs Racing veteran Denny Hamlin addressed the NASCAR media this Wednesday, previewing the Cup Series Playoff Media Day with extensive Denny Hamlin NASCAR Playoff insights. As Round 1 approaches, Hamlin reflected on the year’s adjustments and how returning to familiar tracks like New Hampshire and Gateway might shape the competitive field. These venues lack the unpredictability of road courses or superspeedways, setting a different tone for the early phases of the championship chase.
Hamlin made clear that the early playoff rounds may be less volatile:
“I think it makes it probably a little bit more predictable. Overall, I feel like we don’t have a road course, we don’t have another superspeedway in that first round. So, I think that first round the fast cars are going to be the ones that you’ll have to beat. There will probably be less opportunity for one of your favorites to get knocked out early.”
—Denny Hamlin, Driver, Joe Gibbs Racing
Consistency and Experience Shape Hamlin’s Mentality in His 19th Playoff Run
Entering his nineteenth season in the NASCAR Playoffs, Hamlin emphasized that the stakes and routine tend to blur from year to year, with each campaign offering a renewed chance at victory but similar levels of tension and expectation.
“It’s just another chance to roll the dice. That’s it. I don’t feel any better or any worse than what I have last year or the year before that or the year before that. They’re all very, very similar. I feel as though our team is as strong as it’s ever been, but we’ve seen in the short sample size, it’s just a matter of whether you get unlucky at times or you catch a caution at the right time or not. Do you stub your toe on pit road? Those are the small things that decide whether you move on in the Playoffs or not.”
—Denny Hamlin, Driver, Joe Gibbs Racing
Chasing Milestones and Meaningful Victories
Asked about securing his 60th career win, Hamlin spoke passionately about sentimental tracks and how certain venues could make a major personal impact on his historic tally.
“I’d love for it to happen at Martinsville, truthfully. I think that would be a really big one for me just being a short track that I felt so strong at for so many years and ultimately a track that meant a lot to my short track upbringing.”
—Denny Hamlin, Driver, Joe Gibbs Racing
Highlighting the Team’s Strengths and Navigating Playoff Weaknesses
Hamlin broke down the primary assets and vulnerabilities facing the No. 11 Progressive Insurance Toyota Camry XSE crew. He pinpointed the group’s prowess on conventional ovals and identified risk factors at high-variance tracks such as Talladega and the Roval.
“Our strengths are just conventional ovals. Anything that turns left is going to be our strength. We’re in the unique position, there’s truthfully about four or five of us that are the fastest cars every single week and there’s others, right? It’s just, do you have enough of a head start through your Playoff points and whatnot to keep moving on? Do you have enough to sustain a bad day that everyone has during the course of a season? The challenge will be obviously Talladega. I don’t think I’ve avoided a superspeedway wreck in about 10 years now – or it feels that way. And then, what happens at the Roval, right? There’re so many different strategies and stuff that can happen. What points position are you in before you get to there? A lot of that will be dictated in the first couple races of that round.”
—Denny Hamlin, Driver, Joe Gibbs Racing
The Search for Playoff Favorites and Uncertainty in the Field
When asked to identify frontrunners among the playoff contenders, Hamlin highlighted the unpredictable nature of the current playoff landscape. He stressed that, while top performers often rise, the outcome is far from guaranteed.
“It’s just too hard to predict because it’s unpredictable. Again, you would think of the four or five fastest cars, at least probably three of them will make it into the final four, but there’s just no guarantees. I do think though this 10-race of tracks should produce a sample size enough to where you’re going to see the cars that have good speed get the points and then move on. But I don’t know. I wish I could tell you how this thing goes because I thought I’ve known for 19 years, and you just never know because I’ve seen it all. I’ve seen anything that you think might happen usually does and you’re either on the good end of it or on the bad end of it.”
—Denny Hamlin, Driver, Joe Gibbs Racing
Championship Expectations and Playoff Variables
Hamlin discussed the ambitions of reaching the Championship 4 and how his team has consistently performed stronger in the playoffs compared to the regular season. He also acknowledged the plethora of variables that can influence final outcomes, from unexpected winners to on-track incidents.
“Yeah. It’s the goal at the beginning of the year is to make the Championship 4. To do that you obviously have to put in some work during the regular season and you’ve got to perform well in the Playoffs. I think our record in the Playoffs speaks for itself. Our average finish drops every year in the Playoffs. We run better every year in the final 10 than what we do in the regular season. It’s just a matter of all the other variables. Does someone who’s way below the cut that ran horrible, do they win and get in and knock us out? Or does someone ride the wall and knock us out? Again, I’m so tainted that I’m just very nonchalant with like let’s just win races and let’s see where this thing ends up.”
—Denny Hamlin, Driver, Joe Gibbs Racing
Evolving Fuel Strategy and Race Dynamics
Commenting on recent trends where fuel strategy has played a major role in determining race outcomes, Hamlin explained why teams have placed such a premium on track position and why passing has become more challenging in the current NASCAR era.
“Because of track position. Yeah, track position is just so big, and so it’s turned every race into a fuel mileage or did there for a while. A lot of it is just really the focus of being on track position and no one wanted to give it up because passing has become more and more difficult over the last few years.”
—Denny Hamlin, Driver, Joe Gibbs Racing
When pressed about whether these strategies would continue into the playoffs, Hamlin steered the discussion toward situational awareness and the intensification of the stakes as the season closes.
“I think it just depends on the situation, but I’d say that people will most likely be fighting for track position more than they have during the regular season because they know the end is near if they don’t.”
—Denny Hamlin, Driver, Joe Gibbs Racing
Although Hamlin’s personal approach to fuel-saving remains unchanged, he highlighted the team’s increased strategic focus.
“I’m less. I mean, I’m the same as I used to be, but the team, it’s more a focus for them than it’s ever been.”
—Denny Hamlin, Driver, Joe Gibbs Racing
He also dwelled on the crucial role of technology and relying on his crew for precise fuel-mileage calls, versus the instinctive calculations he might make on the track.
“You do. You can’t beat the supercomputer. As much as you think you know, as much as you try to tell your team how much fuel you’re saving, ultimately the computers know, and you don’t. So, you just try to do the best you can to do your job and that is if they tell you to go all out, get all the speed you can. If you’re told to save fuel, you have to do it the best of your ability and there’s some obviously that are better than others.”
—Denny Hamlin, Driver, Joe Gibbs Racing
Fairness, Officiating, and the 23XI Lawsuit Context
The ongoing legal battles involving 23XI Racing, a team with connections to Hamlin, brought questions about fairness from officials and competitors. Hamlin called out a perceived distinction between treatment at the track versus from others linked to disputes outside of the race environment.
“I think we’re treated fairly by the NASCAR officials that are at the race track. Yes.”
—Denny Hamlin, Driver, Joe Gibbs Racing
Asked whether unfairness from other quarters impacts him, he provided a brief but pointed reaction.
“No. It just makes me angrier.”
—Denny Hamlin, Driver, Joe Gibbs Racing
Nevertheless, Hamlin affirmed that off-track distractions do not detract from his ultimate mission—winning at the highest level.
“Because I want to win the championship. I want to win 60 or more races and so that is my number one goal and so I’m not going to let anyone distract me from that no matter what their motivations might be.”
—Denny Hamlin, Driver, Joe Gibbs Racing
Despite the ongoing legal battles, he remained adamant that their competition is not hindered.
“Yeah. Because I believe the people at track treat us very fairly.”
—Denny Hamlin, Driver, Joe Gibbs Racing
Coping with Pressure and Playoff Mindset
Hamlin compared his own playoff mindset with the perspectives of veteran and less-experienced drivers, stating that everyone copes differently depending on their confidence and background.
“I think for everyone, it’s a little bit different. I think it depends on who you are. If it’s your third or fourth time doing this, you’re probably still very nervous today and tomorrow and the next day. I am certainly not. It’s not even a thought of mine. It’s just another race and again it’s another opportunity for me to win. I try not to think about too much or hyper focus on these small moments that will decide whether you move on or not. I just try to put the big picture in mind and do the best I can and I’m going to be okay with the result. But every person is different, and every driver is going to give you a different answer on that because of what their level of confidence is or how nervous they are?”
—Denny Hamlin, Driver, Joe Gibbs Racing
Execution as the Deciding Factor in Championship Outcomes
Hamlin was asked about standing out from the crowded playoff field, referencing Alex Palou’s recent dominance in the INDYCAR series, and what it takes to break free from the pack in NASCAR’s more volatile playoff system.
“It’s going to be something you hear a lot, it’s just who executes the best. When you look at the field and you break it down into numbers you’re going to see where are they running and where did they finish? And whoever can tighten up that gap, that’s going to be the person that is going to be the one you’re watching and seeing pull away. There’s just not going to be that because there’s just more variables and more luck involved in NASCAR than there is in INDYCAR just because of how the races play out. They’re closer together, there’s more wrecks, there’s more pit stops, more variables and things like that – more caution flags. So, you’re just not going to have that. Not in this format. It’s just a matter of who can do the best job of executing.”
—Denny Hamlin, Driver, Joe Gibbs Racing
Evaluating the 2024 Season in Context
Reflecting on how this season compares with previous years, Hamlin emphasized his day-by-day focus and reiterated his ambition to reach his 60th win before year’s end, insisting that maintaining this discipline helps buffer against disappointment from situations beyond his control.
“Very similar. I’ve been confident before but also had my heart broke for something out of my control. I just try to do the best I can to play it day by day and week by week. Right now, the focus is all on Darlington. I haven’t looked at one shred of thing from St. Louis. It’s not even on the radar. I’m so week to week with my goals that I feel as though, let’s just somehow figure out how to get to 60 wins before the end of the season, and if I can do that it’s probably going to put myself in a pretty good position to win.”
—Denny Hamlin, Driver, Joe Gibbs Racing
Acknowledging Crew Chief Leadership
Hamlin briefly touched on his relationship with crew chief Chris Gayle, expressing confidence in Gayle’s leadership and emphasizing the importance of staying grounded under pressure.
“I haven’t seen a whole lot of Chris Gayle (crew chief) this week. Truthfully, I’ve been out of town. I’ll see him this afternoon. But I just hope he maintains a level head and takes it as freely as what I am. I’m not going to put any undue pressure on him. I think he’s very capable and certainly has led this team to have as many wins as anyone else in this series. I have got full confidence in him, and as long as he maintains that level head and doesn’t change based off of the moment, I think we’ll be successful.”
—Denny Hamlin, Driver, Joe Gibbs Racing
What Lies Ahead for Hamlin and the Playoff Field
Hamlin’s comments reveal the complex mix of strategy, experience, and motivation shaping this year’s championship pursuit. As the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs draw near, he balances clear-eyed realism with competitive ambition, demanding both diligent execution and adaptability from himself, his team, and fellow playoff contenders such as Chase Elliott, Christopher Bell, and others vying for the sport’s highest honors. The journey begins at Darlington, but as Hamlin notes, each race—and each variable—could define the narrative, with championship hopes riding on performance, collaboration, and the ability to stay focused amid the sport’s characteristic unpredictability.
