“No Chance” – Denny Hamlin Refutes Claim of NASCAR Witnessing More Than 16 Winners

The Cup race at the Sonoma Raceway has just concluded, and only a handful of Playoff spots left. Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez has snatched a spot after his first win. Prior to the race, Denny Hamlin was asked if Kurt Busch may have to rely on points to qualify. This is because there are still 10 races left, with only a few playoff spots up for grabs.

According to him, there is no need for Busch to fret about potentially losing his Playoff berth. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver firmly believed that there won’t be any more first-time winners this year. Hamlin said, “There’s not going to be 17 winners. No chance. We’ll be lucky to have 14. I don’t even know how many there is. Lucky for 14.”

Will the Denny Hamlin prediction come true?

Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott locked out the front row, and they have already won a race this season. So there was no danger from them potentially winning. Given that Larson won the race last year, and Elliott excels at road courses, Hamlin’s prediction looked solid.

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However, Suarez’s triumph has thrown a spanner into the works. In other words, one more spot has been filled and will amp up the pressure on Busch.

So, he will have to try and earn enough points to stay in the competition, with more regular-season races left. Hamlin also knows that he himself is safe in terms of his qualification.

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Currently, just a few drivers have gone past one Cup win. This includes William Byron, Ross Chastain, and Hamlin himself. However, there could be other drivers who will want to join the new winners.