Hamlin off to magnificent start
DOVER, Del. -- Denny Hamlin took his cut -- he gripped the checkered flag like a Louisville Slugger and took a swing moments after he delivered on his called shot at Dover -- and then lobbed a high, hard one at some of the NASCAR greats before him.
Yeah, maybe 36 drivers have won Cup championships.
Not all of them were as great as Denny Hamlin.
Hamlin is off to one of the best starts of his two-decade career, with three wins for Joe Gibbs Racing -- plus a victory in the exhibition Clash at the Coliseum -- over the first 11 races. Again, Hamlin is in the mix to win his first career Cup title. Again, Hamlin knows his season will be judged not on his start, but on his finish.
Can he ever get over the hump in the No. 11 Toyota and score NASCAR’s biggest prize, the pursuit of which has caused him all kinds of heartache through the years?
Sure, he can. But if he doesn’t win it all, Hamlin seems at peace with the knowledge that his career has hovered in the rarified air as one of the best in NASCAR history.
His 54th career win -- one he predicted on his podcast -- was just the latest reminder of his elite ability behind the wheel. Hamlin tied Lee Petty for 12th on the career wins list, and only Hall of Famers Kyle Busch and recently-retired Kevin Harvick are ahead of him. Hamlin can’t knock ‘em.
As for the “does a championship define greatness?” crowd, Hamlin told the haters to take a hike.
“I know that I’m a championship-caliber driver,” Hamlin said. “I’ll just say it. I think there’s been worse drivers to win a championship than me.” Like who?
Stroll through the garage or flip through the history book and it’s easy to find championship drivers Hamlin would be foolish to trade careers with just for a title.
-- Brad Keselowski won the 2012 title but has only three other top-five series finishes over that span and is winless (he has 35 overall) since 2021. Hamlin also has three Daytona 500 wins to none for Keselowski.
-- Matt Kenseth is as respected as any driver in recent NASCAR history and currently serves as a competition advisor for Legacy Motor Club. His one win in his 2003 championship season made him a scapegoat the following year when NASCAR upended the championship process and moved to a playoff-type format. He won 39 career races.
-- Hey, who doesn’t love Dale Jarrett? The popular NBC announcer failed to win a race in his first four seasons and had only two wins in his last four full seasons. He did win four of his 32 career races in his 1999 championship season.