This season was yet another opportunity, or rather, a failed opportunity, for Denny Hamlin to win his long-awaited first NASCAR Cup Series title. The Joe Gibbs Racing has come close on many occasions to the ultimate prize.

But he has never been quite able to get his hands on the trophy for one reason or the other.

One could even argue that it’s just that one trophy or title which is standing in the way of Hamlin being considered among the all-time greats.

Yet for the #11 driver, it doesn’t matter. Because for him, in this modern era of playoff system, one which Bubba Wallace’s spotter Freddie Kraft had also disapproved of, it’s the wins that speak more than a trophy.

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“I would take the 30 wins over the one championship,” Hamlin said. “To me, when you win week in, week out, that means that you are a championship driver.”

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver argued that one could win a championship simply by winning one race, one race which isn’t “any harder or easier” than the races prior to it.

“So I would rather have triple the amount of wins because it means I was capable for 30 times. I think that puts me at mid-70 wins, right? That’s a number that you can’t deny what that accomplishment is,” he added.

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Would Denny Hamlin be willing to trade his Daytona 500 wins for one championship?

In his illustrious career so far, Denny Hamlin has won the famed Daytona 500 thrice. When asked if he’d be willing to swap those three wins for one Cup championship, the veteran admitted he’s thought of it.

But despite those thoughts, the idea of such a thing is something Hamlin refused.

“I thought about it many times,” he said. “I wouldn’t trade my three Daytona 500s for one championship, there’s just no way. I just think championships in general are viewed differently these days.”

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