“I’ve been surprised at how hard he does work. I’m starting to see the amount of effort he puts in,” Crew Chief Chris Gayle said after Denny Hamlin’s earlier win this season. That grind paid off big at age 44, as Hamlin notched his 60th Cup win at Las Vegas, tying Kevin Harvick for 10th all-time and matching Richard Petty’s 16 victories after turning 40. But his South Point 400 win not only gets him a finale ticket after four years but also an added preparation edge over everyone else.

With two races left in the Round of 8, Hamlin’s early lock-in hands Joe Gibbs Racing a rare three-week runway to dial in setups without elimination pressure. Rivals like Joey Logano and Christopher Bell now stare down a points scramble at Talladega and Martinsville, while Hamlin’s team rep for sim sessions and leadership sharpens his edge. Now, NASCAR insider Jordan Bianchi flags this breathing room as a real threat in the title hunt.

Jordan Bianchi sounds the alarm for the team

Jordan Bianchi broke it down on his Instagram post, spotlighting Hamlin‘s Vegas masterstroke as a playoff pivot that flips the script on the rest. “I mean, it’s not unprecedented to see a driver this age get one win occasionally and, you know, be mildly competitive, but to consistently be this and to be P1 and lock yourself in the championship race,” Bianchi noted, tying it to history where five of the last nine Round of 8 openers have crowned champs.

At 44, Hamlin’s not fading but rather surging, with six 2025 wins already matching his 2020 peak, where he notched seven wins, all while juggling ownership duties at 23XI Racing. This berth echoes his 2021 run, but now, free from Martinsville chaos and must-wins, his team can laser-focus on Phoenix tweaks, like aero balances from Vegas data that netted him that final-lap pass on Chase Briscoe.

The danger ramps up because Hamlin’s prep game is unmatched, as Bianchi hammered home. “Denny Hamlin behind the scenes is as tireless a worker as you’re going to find. He does not get enough credit for how much time he puts in behind the scenes in terms of sim work, meetings, leadership, et cetera.”

Picture this: while Logano fights for every point, sitting at P7, 24 points back after Vegas, while Hamlin logs extra simulator laps, dissecting Phoenix’s one-groove quirks, where he’s finished P1 twice. It’s a mental edge honed over 20 seasons, turning close calls like his 2020 P4 into fuel. Rivals feel it; Kyle Larson, nipping at Hamlin’s heels for second, admitted post-race the Toyotas’ short-run speed caught him flat-footed, a glimpse of the homework paying dividends.

“The Toyotas in general, were really, really, really fast on the short run and had a lot of speed. … He must have nailed the bottom behind me, he got to my inside, and it was kind of over from there,” said Larson.

Kenny Wallace doubled down on that resilience after Vegas, ranking Hamlin with Tony Stewart for mental toughness: “I’m going to have to put Denny Hamlin right up there… Do you all realize the abuse that you’ve given Denny Hamlin? And all he does is win… Denny Hamlin cries because he says his dad is ailing. These 60 wins mean a lot because his father is ailing. His father is not good.”

Hamlin, dedicating the win to his dad, Dennis, who’d sacrificed everything from age five, echoed the grit: “Just put the pedal down those last 10 laps and made it happen.” That raw drive, from a blur of emotion in victory lane to strategic four-tire stops by Gayle, positions him to exploit the cushion, scouting tire wear without race-day stakes, leaving the field chasing shadows.

Hamlin’s offseason shuffle on the pit wall only amps the intrigue around his title push.

Gayle’s gamble pays off in Hamlin’s hot streak

When Joe Gibbs tapped Chris Gayle for the No. 11 crew chief gig back in the offseason, eyebrows shot up. Gayle had just two Cup wins in nearly 200 starts, mostly mentoring young guns like Erik Jones and Ty Gibbs in Xfinity. Hamlin, fresh off a frustrating 2024 playoff exit, got 24 hours to green-light it amid Gayle’s outside offers, opting to trust Gibbs’ track record on big calls.

The shift stemmed from Chris Gabehart’s bump to competition director, rippling through JGR and landing Gayle the keys to a proven team. Early jitters faded fast; Gayle’s blend of No. 54 processes with Hamlin’s established setup sparked immediate chemistry, turning skeptics into believers by spring.

Hamlin laid bare the initial nerves in a sit-down, saying, “I mean, I was worried. Chris Gayle’s résumé was not mind-blowing by any stretch of the imagination. He also had a lot of young guys that he had to work with.” Yet, that humility fueled respect. Hamlin stressed to Gayle upfront, “I really appreciate his leadership. He pushes me as hard as Gabehart did. I made it very, very clear to him that regardless of my accolades or his, he is the leader, and I will respect whatever he tells me to do.”

Fast-forward to Vegas: Gayle’s four-tire call mid-chaos vaulted Hamlin from mid-pack to the lead, clinching that emotional 60th. It’s no fluke; the duo’s weekly sim marathons, seven hours minimum, refined short-run speed, key in Hamlin’s late charge that held off Larson by 1.5 seconds.

Gibbs reflected on the tense swap, noting, “That was kind of a tough time there. Denny worked through it with us. Chris did, too. Chris had opportunities there, and he chose to stay with us. We really appreciate that.”

Gayle, now eyeing Phoenix, keeps it grounded: “What will I tell him? We’re going to do everything we can; leave it there in Phoenix. Whatever happens, happens.” With six wins already, this under-the-radar pairing has JGR humming, blending Gayle’s fresh eyes on setups with Hamlin’s instincts for the one-groove finale where veterans thrive.