Denny Hamlin might have needed to accept third at Chicagoland Speedway as a result of he was “too nonchalant,” however no driver has been extra constant than him this season.
Positive, Ryan Blaney has extra top-10s (14), however Hamlin has 4 wins — 5 should you embrace his All-Star Race win at Dover — and 10 top-fives. That sort of consistency has helped Hamlin flip a 129-point deficit to Tyler Reddick within the standings right into a 44-point lead with seven regular-season races remaining.
Whereas a number of points have contributed to Reddick’s tough stretch of 4 finishes of twenty fifth or worse within the final 5 races, Hamlin has put himself on an unique listing by way of 19 races.
Denny Hamlin has had few setbacks in 2026
Hamlin has accomplished all however two laps this season. In accordance with NASCAR Insights, that is the ninth time in NASCAR Cup Collection historical past {that a} driver has accomplished all however two (or fewer) laps within the first 19 races.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kurt Busch are the one drivers to finish each lap within the first 19 races, whereas Chase Elliott (2024-25) and Matt Kenseth accomplished all however one lap.
Had it not been for the 2 laps that Hamlin misplaced within the season-opening Daytona 500, he would be a part of Earnhardt Jr. and Busch atop the listing. That Thirty first-place end was one in every of solely two outcomes exterior the highest 20 for Hamlin, with the opposite being a twenty sixth at Sonoma after he was spun whereas operating inside the highest 10.
Denny Hamlin’s unprecedented stretch might be put to the check
Sadly for Hamlin, Sunday’s race at Atlanta’s EchoPark Speedway (7 p.m. ET, TNT, truTV, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) might be the place he offers some factors again.
Though he was a strong thirteenth there earlier this season, Hamlin solely has two top-10s at EchoPark Speedway since its reconfiguration forward of the 2022 season, a stretch that has additionally included 5 finishes exterior the highest 20.
Hamlin is not any stranger to success on drafting-style tracks with 5 mixed wins at Daytona and Talladega. Nevertheless, that efficiency has not precisely translated to the Hampton, Georgia, facility, which has produced extra dealing with points and created further passing alternatives than its drafting counterparts.
With the excessive chance of the “Massive One” accumulating a number of drivers in Sunday’s race, it could be extra of a shock if Hamlin’s run of lead-lap finishes continues. On the flip aspect, Reddick was the victor at EchoPark Speedway earlier this season, making it a sensible chance that the tide lastly turns in his favor.
Regardless, what Hamlin continues to perform this late in his profession is nothing wanting superb. Nevertheless, do not be stunned if he isn’t a lot of an element at EchoPark Speedway, a monitor that has not been one in every of his finest recently.
