As the Las Vegas race unfolded, all eyes were on Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson, who entered the event as the clear favorite. True to expectations, Larson showcased exactly why he held that status, ultimately clinching victory. It was a performance that echoed his strong showing in the spring race, where he finished a commendable second, trailing only William Byron. Yet, this time around, the Las Vegas track seemed to belong entirely to Kyle Larson, until the race’s closing laps, when Christopher Bell made a dramatic entrance.

Despite Bell’s late surge, he couldn’t quite outpace Kyle Larson and secure the win. Kyle Larson’s performance, on the other hand, not only added another feather to his cap but also secured his spot in the Championship-4 race at Phoenix. While this positions Larson somewhat advantageously, Denny Hamlin has raised questions about a possible shift in the mentality of the #5 team.

Denny Hamlin questions Kyle Larson’s mindset post-Las Vegas victory

Hamlin has been facing a series of challenging races in recent weeks, which has cast a shadow over his campaign which was once touted as “2023, the year Denny Hamlin finally claims the title.” It has turned into a somewhat disheartening. Adding to the complexity, Hamlin currently occupies the fourth spot in the playoff standings, and any win from the bottom four contenders could potentially push him into the danger zone. With just two more opportunities left, a victory would secure a Championship 4 spot for any of the top-eight drivers, except, of course, for the seemingly untouchable Kyle Larson.

These sentiments were recently echoed by Denny Hamlin on his podcast. Hamlin contended that Larson holds a slight but noteworthy advantage over the other playoff drivers, as he no longer needs to formulate complex race strategies to secure wins. This viewpoint contradicted Larson and his crew chief, Cliff Daniels, who downplayed the idea of an “advantage.”

Hamlin suggested that Larson’s focus could now shift towards the season finale in Phoenix, stating, “They are talking about the advantage because now he can shift his focus and thoughts into Phoenix. What that basically means is that he is going to spend extra time, instead of doing a bunch of work for Homestead and meeting the crew chief about Homestead this, Homestead that, how can we do this, what’s our strategy, they’ll shift their focus to what do we need to do to run well and win at Phoenix. While it’s a very, very small advantage, it is still an advantage.”

Not content to stop there, Hamlin elaborated on the reasoning behind this perspective, emphasizing that Larson’s team no longer has to invest countless hours in strategizing for the next two races. Instead, they can bypass those concerns and dive straight into Phoenix preparations, capitalizing on the extra time at hand.

However, when Hamlin’s co-host, Jared Allen, noted that Kyle Larson’s crew chief had denied viewing the win as an advantage, Hamlin reiterated his stance. He emphasized that Larson is not expected to deliver average performances in the upcoming two races, hinting at the continued intensity of their competition.

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Denny Hamlin acknowledges Larson’s crew chief’s perspective

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Continuing the conversation, Allen pointed out the view of Larson’s crew chief, regarding the recent win as an advantage. Their rationale stemmed from a determination not to divert their focus away from the next two tracks on the horizon. Their approach is quite clear: they don’t want to approach Homestead and Martinsville with a mindset of merely running at an average pace, only to arrive in Phoenix and hope to rediscover their winning mojo.

In response, Denny Hamlin largely concurred with Larson and his team’s perspective, stating, “I understand that for sure. There’s no question; there’ll be a shift of resources towards Phoenix for sure. Do we expect them to go to Homestead and run average? No. We don’t! We expect them to be at the front. He was really dominant in that race last year. So, Martinsville, I am not sure. […] They (the rest of the top 8 drivers) don’t know until they win the race. So they’re going to have to. They will feel like they are going to go to every race track and win the next three. But now you (Kyle Larson) don’t.”

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With this dynamic at play, it will undoubtedly be intriguing to see if Denny Hamlin can replicate his performance against his Pocono race rival and secure a spot in the top four, finally shedding the “championship-less” label that has clung to him for over 18 years now.