With the NASCAR season finale approaching at Phoenix, Denny Hamlin faces a defining moment, as he embraces a deliberate Denny Hamlin clean slate strategy to finally break his championship drought. On the heels of past controversies and a string of victories this year, Hamlin is focused on calculated racing and restraint, determined to avoid the mistakes and grudges that have cost him titles in previous years.
Hamlin’s Changed Approach Heading Into Phoenix
At 44, Denny Hamlin comes into Phoenix’s one-mile oval with six wins this season, leading all Cup Series drivers. His skill and determination are unquestioned, but so is the weight of years spent chasing the elusive Bill France Cup. This time, the Virginia native is consciously avoiding unnecessary risks and public disputes, especially following recent high-profile incidents involving Ty Gibbs and Bubba Wallace. The stakes could not be higher, and Hamlin wants to make certain his story in the finals isn’t defined by a costly misstep or a volatile feud in the closing laps.
The build-up to the season finale is as dramatic as ever. Hamlin has shown speed and composure—qualities needed for Phoenix’s intense pack racing. However, fans and competitors alike remember moments when aggressive moves early in the race backfired, snuffing out championship hopes before they could truly ignite. With all eyes on the last race, Hamlin represents both hope for his own redemption and the risk of old habits returning under pressure.
Learning From the Past: The Clean Slate Mentality
On the Action Detrimental podcast, Hamlin gave listeners insight into his shift in mindset, describing a calculated patience under playoff pressure. He explained,
If you’re good enough, you’ll get your shot at some point through the day.
Denny Hamlin, NASCAR driver, capturing his newfound philosophy. This mantra has guided Hamlin away from headline-making conflicts and towards a strategy focused on long-term payoff instead of instant retribution.
He recounted his decision-making at Martinsville, which highlighted a deliberate restraint rarely seen before from the veteran. Hamlin described,
I let no less than five cars actually pass, like let them pass,
Denny Hamlin, NASCAR driver. Far from being passive, his actions were performed against the advice of some voices in the garage who pushed for retaliation, especially toward Joey Logano. Hamlin elaborated further saying,
I wasn’t, I could have just held my line and air blocked them and made them get their stuff hot. And it would just been very detrimental to them.
Denny Hamlin, NASCAR driver. Instead, he opted against short-term vengeance, letting others by in hopes of banking goodwill for the closing laps at Phoenix.
Hamlin’s decision to allow drivers such as Logano and Elliott to pass reflects a belief that patience matters more than aggression when it comes to championship races. In recent years, he’s been involved in on-track incidents: from Ty Gibbs at Bristol to Chase Elliott during the 2023 Coca-Cola 600, and Bubba Wallace in 2023. Each episode served as a lesson—wrecking rivals early does not guarantee progress, but it does risk retaliation when it counts most.
Instead, at Martinsville, Hamlin adopted a “deposits and withdrawals” mindset, essentially treating his interactions on the track as a system of mutual favors across the season. Building positive relationships with competitors, he reasons, can be crucial during the tense final laps at Phoenix. It’s a mentality geared toward survival and success in a championship context, where one bad move could bring an abrupt end to a year-long campaign.
Contrast With Rising Aggression Among Newcomers
This veteran approach is the inverse of what was seen with rookie Carson Hocevar, who had an incident-filled Martinsville race with clashes including Daniel Suárez, spinning three times before bringing out a late caution. Hamlin made his opinion clear on his podcast, asking,
Why do you think Carson Hocesvar was in four wrecks? You know what I mean? I’m not asking for anything. I’m just saying that it’s okay to let people go.
Denny Hamlin, NASCAR driver. The underlying message was clear: aggression can spiral quickly into disaster, especially for less-experienced drivers still learning the balance between assertiveness and self-preservation.
Hamlin highlighted the importance of a clean race, especially in the latter stages. He shared his hopes regarding the closing laps at Phoenix, stating,
Once you get inside 30, 50 laps to go and you’re like 20th or worse… do me a favor and please don’t bring out a caution for no particular reason. Like, let’s just get it to the finish, fellas.
Denny Hamlin, NASCAR driver. His message is as much for his own benefit as it is for his peers, emphasizing that the best chance at the championship comes from a race free of unnecessary chaos.
Hamlin’s Competitive Record and Adaptation
Statistically, Hamlin enters Phoenix as a strong favorite. He has led 939 laps at the Arizona circuit, demonstrating both speed and savvy. His second-place result earlier this season is a reminder of what he’s capable of when things go smoothly. However, he admits that lapses in judgment—what he calls “d–k moves”—have derailed not only other drivers like Hocevar but also his own playoff runs in the past.
This year’s strategy leans heavily on learning from these experiences. Hamlin’s focus is firm: avoid unnecessary entanglements, trust that others will do the same, and let his performance speak for itself. Still, the intensity of the moment makes it impossible to guarantee that tempers will stay cool or grudges will not resurface if circumstances turn hostile in the crunch laps.
Measuring Up Against Mark Martin: A Legacy Unfinished
Among veteran NASCAR observers, Hamlin’s career often invites comparisons to Mark Martin, another celebrated driver who amassed wins but was never crowned Cup Series champion. Martin’s resume includes 40 Cup victories in 882 starts, plus five IROC titles—a testament to his adaptability against competitors from IndyCar and other top series. Hamlin, since his 2005 debut, has surpassed Martin in Cup wins (now at 60 in 718 starts), claiming three Daytona 500s, three Southern 500s, and a Coca-Cola 600 victory along the way.
The racing community debates fiercely who stands as the greatest Cup driver never to lift the championship trophy. Kyle Larson, a top driver in today’s field, contributed his view:
I mean, I guess it would be between Denny [Hamlin] and Mark Martin, right? I didn’t get to compete with Mark a whole lot, you know? I wanna say Denny just because I see how good he is,
Kyle Larson, NASCAR driver. For Larson, proximity to Hamlin and witnessing his skills up close season after season tips the scales in his favor—even acknowledging his own connections to racing at Hendrick Motorsports.
Chase Briscoe, Hamlin’s current JGR stablemate, offers a more neutral stance. He commented,
I mean, it’s gotta be either Mark or Denny. I didn’t get to race against Mark. So, it’s hard for me to really say. Denny is extremely good. So, one of those two. Flip a coin,
Chase Briscoe, NASCAR driver. Briscoe notes that Hamlin’s drive and performance within Joe Gibbs Racing are on display every day, but expresses respect for Martin’s long and accomplished career. Both drivers have crossed the 40-win threshold but, ironically, still lack the sport’s highest honor.
What Hamlin’s Phoenix Finale Means for His Legacy
The stakes at Phoenix are as dramatic and powerful as they get. Win, and Hamlin cements his legacy, escaping the shadow cast by Martin and silencing debates that have trailed him across nearly two decades. Lose, and the questions—about his temperament, his choices on track, and whether his clean slate strategy can really deliver under maximum pressure—will only get louder.
For fans, rivals, and the broader motorsports audience, Hamlin’s campaign is more than just another attempt at a title. It’s emblematic of how experience can shape new strategies, and whether patience can ultimately triumph over the all-too-human temptation of payback and pride. Observers across NASCAR, including drivers like William Byron, Joey Logano, and Elliott, will be watching closely to see if Hamlin’s reformed approach holds or if high-stakes racing brings old behaviors to the fore.
As the field lines up for the final race, Hamlin’s choices—whether to assert, yield, retaliate, or forgive—will not only decide his championship fate but may also define his standing among NASCAR’s all-time greats.
