The championship fight is turning into a total mess for Denny Hamlin. After a huge run earlier this year, the No. 11 driver is suddenly falling apart. It is wild to watch a driver who had so much momentum just lose it all right when the pressure hits the hardest.
According to Beyond The Flag, Hamlin has fallen to fourth in the points standings. He is now 31 points behind the leader, Kyle Larson. This is a huge drop for someone who was so dominant during the first 26 races of the season. He has only led 160 laps since his three-race winning streak ended back in June.
The stats from his recent races are honestly pretty bad. During this Chase period, he has only managed two finishes better than eighth place. He had a rough time at Phoenix Raceway last weekend when a tire failure and a pit road penalty left him with a 28th-place finish. Yahoo Sports reported that this bad luck snapped a streak of 31 straight races where he finished on the lead lap.
The Luck is Finally Running Out
I am telling you, the “luck” part of his season is officially over. Beyond The Flag noted that his lead during the regular season came from being incredibly lucky to avoid outside problems. Now, that luck is gone, and he is struggling to find any answers. It is like a coach watching a star player forget how to run plays in the fourth quarter.
Hamlin himself knows things are not going well. He even said he just wants one clean race without any “bull*” happening. I get the frustration, but you cannot just wish for a smooth race. You have to drive your way through the chaos.
Why the Format is Actually Great
People love to complain about the playoff style, but look at what is happening right now. This format rewards the drivers who can actually finish strong. If the points leader always won without any drama, the end of the season would be boring. The Chase keeps the pressure high and forces teams to find speed when it matters most.
The current standings show how tight this race has become. According to Auto Action, Kyle Larson’s lead was slashed to just five points. Christopher Bell is right on his bumper, only five points back. Even Chase Briscoe is within 24 points of the lead. This is exactly the kind of drama we need for the final three weeks.
The series heads to Talladega Superspeedway this Sunday. It is the first of the final three weekends, and it is always a wildcard. If Hamlin cannot find a way to stop this slide, the championship is slipping through his fingers.