Denny Hamlin has always praised the edge that Team Penske has in NASCAR’s high-stakes moments. Like their recent performance last weekend at Martinsville, where Ryan Blaney charged from 31st to finish second. That kind of grit has made Roger Penske’s side run for championship spots every year since 2022. And Hamlin gets it all too well about the fear factor Penske carries in Phoenix.

Penske’s shadow looms large at Phoenix, too, where they’ve snagged the last three wins. Blaney’s near-miss at Martinsville, despite starting dead last, showed why rivals tread carefully when there’s a Penske car in the hunt. But this finale without Penske snapped that momentum, but the respect lingers. Hamlin’s words echo the respect drivers give to such foes, setting the stage for raw playoff truths.

Denny Hamlin opens up on Penske’s playoff absence

On the Action Detrimental podcast, Denny Hamlin laid it bare about dodging a showdown with Team Penske in the Championship 4 at Phoenix. “Well, it certainly psychologically makes you feel better. I don’t know that it really matters, but it certainly makes you feel better just because you have to respect, you’re an idiot if you don’t respect what they’ve done at that racetrack.” The veteran racer went on to say, “You have to respect what they’ve done. You would think, going into that racetrack, if they’re a part of the final four, they would be a favorite to win it and rightfully so.

That blunt praise is spot on after Penske’s flat-track dominance, like wins at New Hampshire and Nashville Superspeedway this year, plus Blaney‘s almost getting his third consecutive win at Martinsville. “He’s like, it’s not that easy. And he’s right. But he nearly did again,” Hamlin added, nodding to Blaney’s push from the P31 to P2 position, which made Blaney earn respect from veterans like Hamlin despite falling short for Phoenix.

Hamlin‘s relief stems from Penske’s Phoenix domination, where they’ve owned the finale, with Joey Logano clinching titles there in 2022 and 2024 and Blaney in 2023. Hamlin knows facing them would crown them early favorites, given their setup tweaks that shine on the one-mile oval.

And the Charlotte Roval incident reflects this fear factor, when Hamlin got angry at his team for not letting him know that passing Ross Chastain in the final lap would allow a Team Penske driver, Joey Logano, to move into the final 8. As he also said post-race, admitting, “I just wish I knew so I could have been either prepared or made a different decision.” This is a perfect example of the sentiments that Hamlin carries for Penske: that he is willing to face anyone in the finals but not a Penske driver.

Calling out the “idiot” label? It’s Hamlin’s way of highlighting Penske‘s fear factor in the finals, which was built on consistent top finishes and mechanical expertise that rivals like Joe Gibbs Racing have chased but rarely topped. And Blaney’s Martinsville charge almost proved this all too well until Byron’s late bump to him kicked Penske out for the first time in four seasons.

Even legend Kyle Petty sees the grit in Blaney’s effort, calling it “one of his best ever,” and added, “I’m gonna tell you that it was I thought his drive today may have been one of his best ever. And, you know, I looked at that, and I thought, Man, that was phenomenal. I would have never believed he could have driven through the pack the way he drove through the pack like that.”

Petty‘s take shows Penske’s depth in crunch races, the kind that forces Hamlin to admit the mental ease that their exit from the finale gives while respecting the performances that they leave behind.

With Penske sidelined, eyes turn to Hamlin’s own path forward at Phoenix, where Joe Gibbs Racing will look for redemption after Martinsville’s mechanical errors.

Hamlin’s steady hand is heading to Phoenix

Denny Hamlin brushed off Joe Gibbs Racing‘s Martinsville engine woes, calling it unlucky as he looks forward to Phoenix. Engine failure sidelined both him and Chase Briscoe in the Martinsville race. Hamlin’s playoffs have been a grind as he faced various mechanical problems from starter stalls to power steering issues, yet he’s quick to reframe it. “Just generally pretty high,” he said of his confidence, keeping the vibe upbeat amid the issues. That optimism draws from Hamlin’s performance at Phoenix, where he has notched two wins.

Deeper preparations strengthen his optimism too. “I think it was a benefit, you know, to give me a little bit more extra time,” Hamlin noted. “That racetrack has been beneficial. Yeah, I think I’m smarter going into that racetrack (Phoenix) than I would have been had I just locked myself in yesterday.”

The forced break may work as a blessing in disguise for Hamlin, as he got extra time to dissect things that he did in Phoenix that made him clinch a victory in 2019. Facing Hendrick’s Kyle Larson and William Byron, plus Briscoe, it’s a Toyota-Chevy brawl, but Hamlin’s 60 career victories fuel the fire. As he is not dwelling on Martinsville’s “boom,” as he called his engine failure, and is looking forward to winning his first title this time.