Denny Hamlin Fails To Advance To Championship 4 But Runs Well
1 month agoAfter crashing in practice and not registering a qualifying time, Denny Hamlin's odds of advancing to the Championship 4 in the NASCAR playoffs were unbelievably remote entering the race, especially since he was below the playoff cut line and would likely have to win. Although his car was sufficiently repaired and he had speed, he never led, nor was he really in contention to win. Nonetheless, he drove up to 10th before staying out of the pits on the Lap 185 caution to move up to second. While Hamlin remained consistently in the top six after that and eventually finished fifth, he never really had the speed to match the other three drivers below the playoff cut line (Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, and Kyle Larson). Hamlin had a strong season and was arguably a top-four driver, but his failure to make the Championship 4 is nowhere near as unexpected as Larson's or Christopher Bell's.
Source: Racing Reference
Source: Racing Reference