In the aftermath of a dramatic playoff elimination race at Bristol, Denny Hamlin, a key figure in Joe Gibbs Racing, points a finger at NASCAR’s intricate system. There should be no way that the regular season champion gets eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. But that’s not the only story of the day. Hamlin, who charged through to the victory lane, believes that this could finally be his year.

The regular season champion faced an uphill battle in the playoffs. Bristol proved to be a make-or-break moment for him. The racer entered the Round of 16 elimination race just seven points above the cut-off line. His regular season success was overshadowed by recent poor finishes. Including an 18th place at Darlington and a last-place finish at Kansas.

Martin Truex Jr barely escapes what could have been a disastrous elimination

Martin Truex Jr‘s record at the high-banked, 0.533-mile Bristol track was far from stellar. But he managed to secure a 19th-place finish, keeping his title hopes alive. After the race, he commented, “I think tonight was kind of a typical Bristol race for us. We were pretty decent early when we were up front. And then we lost track position, and it was a battle and a struggle from there.”

However, later on after the race, Denny Hamlin didn’t hold back in sharing his opinion on NASCAR’s playoff format. He highlighted the challenges of winning in a sport where success is measured in single-digit percentages. Hamlin blamed the “crazy“ playoff system for putting his teammate Martin Truex Jr in a tight spot.

During his conversation with the Joe Gibbs Racing driver, Jeff Gluck asked him about his form in the playoffs and whether he could have done this early on in his career. “It works for you, but it just seems like really hard to do. That you couldn’t have done that early in your career, I assume, just to be able to move on that quickly.”

“Yeah, certainly not early in my career for sure. You know, you just got to find happiness and something other than winning…” said Denny Hamlin. “…If you win six-seven percent [of the races], you’re kicking ass. So it’s just you know there’s so many outside factors and whether you win or not. This format is crazy as you know, we nearly had Martin Truex you know barely surviving so you just never know and I just I’m very content with like the effort that I’m putting in.”

The race, marked by weather-related disruptions, saw Hamlin take control in the second half. He grabbed the lead from his teammate Ty Gibbs, with 141 laps to go and never looked back.

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Denny Hamlin believes there’s no stopping him now

While Bristol’s race brought forth challenges and uncertainty, Denny Hamlin found his moment of triumph. He secured a significant NASCAR Cup playoff victory, solidifying his status as a contender. This victory was a long time coming. And Hamlin believes it’s a sign that this could finally be his year to capture the elusive championship.

With control firmly in his grasp during the race’s second half, Hamlin steered his way to victory. His performance resulted in a 2.437-second win over Kyle Larson. Hamlin’s confidence is soaring, as he believes his team has the speed and the formula to win it all this season.

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“Man, everybody likes a winner, right? Can’t thank this whole team enough,” Hamlin said after the race. “They’ve really kicked [butt] this whole first round. Really amazing how our team has been. So happy about the way we’re running. Can’t wait to keep going. It’s our year. I just feel like we’ve got it all put together. We’ve got the speed, every single type of race track. Nothing to stop us at this point.”

What are your thoughts on Denny Hamlin’s critique of the playoff system and his claim that it’s his year to win it all? Share your opinions and predictions in the comments below.

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