Hamlin searches for elusive crown
Turning 40 later this month, Denny Hamlin has been in racing for a long time.
He was 23 when he competed in his first NASCAR race of any kind and 24 when he made his debut in the Cup Series. A year later, at 25, Hamlin became a full-time driver in the Cup Series.
In the 15 years since his first full Cup Series season, Hamlin has amassed 44 career wins; that includes three Daytona 500 victories and four seasons where he’s won at least five races in a year.
He’s accomplished so much in his long and storied career. But not everything.
Hamlin has yet to win a NASCAR Cup Series championship.
“I thought was in a good position last year and things just didn’t work out,” Hamlin said.
A year ago at the NASCAR Cup Series finale, Hamlin was in pole position but eventually lost the lead and further lost any chance at coming back after a pit mishap forced an 11th place finish.
Now in the Championship 4 for a second consecutive season, the only other time Hamlin advanced to the final postseason stage was in 2014, the first year of the playoff format.
The No.11’s best finish to a season previously was in 2010 when he finished in second place behind Jimmie Johnson.
“From my perspective, I’m a numbers guy. I like the law of averages,” Hamlin said. “If I just keep putting myself in that final four, eventually things will fall my way.”
Winning that elusive championship crown this season for Hamlin won’t be easy.
Two of his three competitors, Brad
Keselowski and Joey Logano, have already won that ultimate prize. Logano earned his title just two years ago.
And Hamlin’s third challenger for the Cup Series crown, Chase Elliott, is racing extremely well after winning last weekend in Martinsville to qualify for the championship four.
“I view all of my competition equally,” Hamlin said. “They’re all dangerous in their own different ways.”
But even with the apparent pressure and high stakes associated with a championship on the line, Hamlin isn’t letting it get to him.
The veteran driver says he’ll certainly be putting in the necessary hours in preparing for the race - as he has all season. But Hamlin says that he also plans on golfing and has already attended a birthday party this week.
He played tennis until the early hours of the morning before the Cup Series championship last year.
“I look for distractions versus trying to avoid them,” Hamlin said. “I tried to avoid them in 2010 and it was the worst mistake I ever made was not enjoying the weekend.
“It’s my personality.” Hamlin’s non-racing activities have helped him relax and decompress. This mechanism has benefited the Virginia native in realizing he can’t worry about any external factors that he has no authority over.
“All I can do is control what I can control and I’ll live with the result - whatever that is,” Hamlin said. “The last two times I’ve raced for a championship, I’ve had no regrets.”
And although he may be racing for a championship, Hamlin also realizes the big picture of his accomplishments. He sees his two Daytona 500 victories in two seasons, and consecutive appearances in the Championship 4, as greater indicators for his success as a driver than winning the championship itself.
“The championship isn’t necessarily an indicative measuring stick of your whole year,” Hamlin said. “If you get to the final four, that is a measuring stick (showing) that you’ve had a successful year.”
Experience has aided Hamlin with a kind of maturity that has allowed him to simply enjoy the week leading up to Sunday’s championship finale.
The smaller things have stood out more for the 39-year-old.
“I used to hate media days, it was long and strung out and just a pain from a driver perspective,” Hamlin said. “But, as you get older, you start to understand and appreciate that these are the moments that you’ve really got to sink in because this means you had a successful year.”
The only aspect of championship weekend that Hamlin has yet to enjoy is one where he is hoisting the Cup Series trophy on Sunday.
In Hamlin’s mind, if it happens, great. A fun week just got even more enjoyable. But if not, he knows he won’t have any regrets.
“We’re going to live with the result no matter what it is,” Hamlin said. “I just want to enjoy it and have fun with it.”