Denny Hamlin Cup championship prediction is drawing attention after Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, as both Hamlin and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chris Gabehart voiced concerns over Team Penske’s performance and their edge for the title. Their views come as the series heads toward its Phoenix Raceway finale, where Penske has already shown unmatched strength in the NextGen era.
Penske’s Grip on Title Contention
The recent event in Loudon utilized a rules package identical to the setup scheduled for Phoenix Raceway’s championship round, including the debut of new right-side tires. This configuration appears to favor Team Penske, with a clear pattern emerging as Penske drivers Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney excelled—Blaney claiming victory and Logano maintaining a steady run at the front after starting from pole.
Chris Gabehart, competition director at Joe Gibbs Racing, emphasized after the race,
“The biggest thing you have to take away from today, with this aero package and the same tires at Phoenix and a one-mile raceway, the Penske cars are completely untouchable again,”
Gebehart, Competition Director, Joe Gibbs Racing told a group of reporters.
Penske’s drivers have clinched all three Phoenix championships in the NextGen era, highlighting the dominance that concerns their competitors as the season finale draws nearer.
Hamlin Weighs the Odds Ahead of Phoenix
Speaking on his own podcast, Actions Detrimental, Denny Hamlin echoed Gabehart’s pessimism over his team’s ability to match Penske’s current pace. Hamlin admitted that unless circumstances change dramatically in the playoff rounds, Penske’s drivers are statistically the favorites to win the championship if they qualify for the final showdown in Phoenix.
He stated that the biggest opportunity for other contenders to break this trend would be to prevent Penske’s drivers from advancing past the penultimate round. Penske himself succinctly commented,
“If you’re not a Penske fan, that’s probably what you should hope,”
Penske.
Concerns About Catching Up
Hamlin addressed questions about whether his team could use lessons from New Hampshire, or adapt in time for Phoenix, casting doubt on the likelihood of closing the gap.
He continued,
“If we re-racked and ran tomorrow, we would have the same result,”
Hamlin.
“It’ll take an extensive overhauling of philosophy to get another two percent of grip out of our cars. We’re not going to be able to tweak our way to the speed that the Penske cars had. If they carry that moving forward, we’re not going to be able to— we will not overcome that, if it correlates to Phoenix.”
Hamlin.
With the short track rules package and new tires replicating the Phoenix finale environment, the challenge for teams like Joe Gibbs Racing becomes even greater as they look to break Penske’s streak.
Implications for the NASCAR Cup Playoffs
The upcoming races will be crucial for all playoff contenders, especially for those aiming to prevent another Penske championship at Phoenix. If rival teams fail to make significant changes or catch a break that eliminates Penske from the running before the finale, Hamlin predicts a familiar outcome awaits when NASCAR heads back to the desert in November. The mood throughout the paddock remains mixed with intensity and frustration, as teams and fans alike recognize the mounting stakes in this year’s Cup Series playoffs.
