NASCAR’s most polarizing driver may be getting boos at race tracks, but his fire and passion remain undeterred. When Denny Hamlin finished the nerve-racking tire management Bristol race, his haters were loud. But there seems to be nothing stopping this popular villain driver.

However, Hamlin’s stellar career misses one crucial factor: a championship. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is not too concerned though, as he blames NASCAR for being fidgety. Besides, a record tie with one of NASCAR’s pioneers is also keeping his spirits high.

Denny Hamlin blames NASCAR for championship scarcity

Racing fans would know that NASCAR changed its championship format several times. From 1948 to 2003, no playoffs existed. A champion was decided based on finish-position points earned in each race throughout the season. Between 2003 and 2014, various racing formats were experimented. Then finally officials fixed its championship coronation to a one-race showdown among four drivers.

In a recent interview with Frank Fleming of Barstool Sports, Denny Hamlin accused this unstable format situation of fiddling with his championship glory. “I’ve avoided winning the championships somehow. But they’ve changed the format so many times that it really comes down to winning one race. Which makes it pretty difficult, the sample size is really small.”

Then Denny Hamlin drew the spotlight on the sunny side of his career. “But at this point in my career, I’m trying to get to 60 wins before I retire…We’re chipping away…So if we can keep on this, at least winning 3-4 races per season kinda pace, I think we’re gonna be good.”

Frank Fleming observed something spectacular. Denny Hamlin is just one win away from tying with Petty Enterprises founder Lee Petty. Hamlin has 53 victories, whereas Petty won 54 times.

Hamlin gleefully responded, crossing his fingers for the upcoming Dover race. “Yeah, that’s a big one for me. I always kind of look at…the list of people that are in front of you on the win category. And the names are starting to get greater and greater. You know, a big part of history for NASCAR to have Lee Petty one spot ahead of me. Hopefully, we’ll change that this weekend.”

Denny Hamlin’s proximity to Lee Petty’s lifetime achievement is something huge. Like Hamlin’s dramatic race finishes, the NASCAR pioneer also made headlines for his races.

Lee Petty’s first Daytona race was a nail-biter

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The founder of Petty Enterprises, Lee Petty, had snagged 54 of the 268 Cup wins for his team. Contrary to Denny Hamlin, the veteran won three Cup championships. With a nod to Hamlin, Petty achieved those in NASCAR’s previous format. However, Lee Petty is similar to Denny Hamlin in putting up dramatic race finishes.

Lee Petty won the first-ever Daytona 500 in 1959 and created a legacy. On the final lap, Petty and Johnny Beauchamp battled for the lead and made for one of the closest finishes in NASCAR history. A photo was snapped, but officials took three whole days to finally confirm Lee Petty as the winner. 

Now Denny Hamlin inches closer to snapping Petty’s ninth rank in race wins. And hopefully, he will do so at the Würth 400 race in Dover.