“It’s a grind to be out there for that long. Mentally and physically, it’s taxing.” AJ Allmendinger said these words recently about the upcoming Coca-Cola 600 race. He is counting on hydration throughout the week. Ross Chastain is running and cycling for long distances to prepare. Then Ricky Stenhouse Jr is working out non-stop without air-conditioning. However, Denny Hamlin stands out. Being the eldest statesman in the Cup Series garage in his 20th season, these physical regimes may not work very well.
What is more, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver finds himself at another, bigger disadvantage. Denny Hamlin has won two consecutive races this year, at Martinsville and Darlington. However, his subsequent finishes have been far from good, and this muddles up his Charlotte picture overall.
Denny Hamlin laments about his position
Presently, possibly the toughest Cup Series race is right around the corner. On May 25th, drivers will challenge themselves for 600 miles under the lights at Charlotte Motor Speedway. While it is no easy task, the thrill of crossing the finish line makes it all the more rewarding. Denny Hamlin achieved this feat not long ago, when he won a 619.5-mile-long Coke 600 race in double overtime in 2022. He defeated tough rivals like his former teammate Kyle Busch, whom Hamlin bested by .014 seconds, and also Kyle Larson, who rebounded from massive difficulties. That dazzling glory, however, seems to have faded in the JGR veteran’s eyes. After his twin glory in 2025, Hamlin recorded three finishes outside the top 20. In Texas and Kansas, he fell to 36th place and beyond.
So, in a recent ‘Actions Detrimental’ episode, Denny Hamlin chided himself for these finishes that have muddied his points standings. He said, “We have a crap draw in qualifying because we finished like crap the last couple of weeks, and I keep dropping in the points because of my bad finishes. And it’s just compounding now. It just keeps getting worse, so I’m probably going to go out, I don’t know, 3rd, 4th, 5th.” At the All-Star Race, Hamlin could finish no better than 12th after going up from 20th. “This week again just brought me a little bit back to reality about Cup Series racing and how hard it can be sometimes.”
So, Denny Hamlin himself cast a dark cloud over his Coca-Cola 600 chances. He continued, “This race has got more stages than the other races. We have a s–t, s–t, draw. We’re going to go out early, going to qualify like a f-cking dog. And we’re probably not going to get good stage points early on. And hopefully, we’ll just make our way to the front as the race goes on.” What frustrates the veteran more is that Charlotte gives drivers the opportunity to hoard as many points as they can. “It’s frustrating because this is a race where, if you’re really good, you can pile up a lot of points. This race pays more points than any other race in the season. Maybe we can get some cautions or something.”
Denny Hamlin’s Charlotte chances look bleak due to his recent record. However, the driver has one headache less due to a new rule of NASCAR.
Hamlin’s little one will come without a fuss
Yes, a new NASCAR baby is right around the block, ladies and gentlemen! Denny Hamlin and his fiancée Jordan Fish will be adding another child to their clan in 2025, but the due date caused some concern initially. Taylor and Molly’s sibling is all set to arrive on earth around June 1st, which is right next to the Coca-Cola 600 race! As the precious date had high chances to clash with Memorial Day Weekend, some in the NASCAR community thought Hamlin may face Kyle Larson‘s dilemma like last year. The Hendrick Motorsports driver risked losing playoff points for missing the start of the Charlotte race after starting the Indianapolis 500. However, like NASCAR made space for Larson, it is also making room for Hamlin in case his new family decides to show up early.
A new rule allows Cup Series drivers to miss a race for the birth of a child without needing a waiver. Denny Hamlin marveled at this relaxation: “There’s a new rule though, right? You can miss a race for a birth and not lose your playoff points, or have to get a waiver? I’m going to need the cliff notes on all the new rule stuff, and we’ll go over that next week. But yeah, that’s good news.” So Hamlin can focus on getting excited about his bundle of joy: “I’m three-for-three. Another baby. We’re really, really excited. Due June 1st-ish. So, right around Charlotte weekend, hopefully we can get that thing popped out somewhere around then. That’d be great.”
Evidently, not all things look grim for Denny Hamlin in the upcoming weekend. We can only wait and see how the JGR veteran’s fate turns out.
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