Denny Hamlin admits he needs to find his “mojo” again after losing the NASCAR Cup Series Chase points lead following the first three playoff races. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver made the comments after finishing eighth in Saturday night’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Hamlin entered the 10-race Chase as the No. 1 seed with a 25-point advantage, but his recent NASCAR results have cut that lead. He finished 18th at Darlington Raceway, ninth at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, and eighth at Bristol.
Kyle Larson’s second-place finish at Bristol moved him one point ahead of Hamlin in the Chase standings. With seven NASCAR playoff races remaining, Hamlin says his team needs stronger weekends to regain ground.
Denny Hamlin Loses NASCAR Chase Lead
Hamlin discussed his NASCAR playoff position on his Actions Detrimental podcast after the Bristol race.
“I mean, where do I stand? I’m like, I don’t know. I need to get my mojo back. I need to get a weekend where we lead laps and win stages and feel good about where we’re at.”
Hamlin’s eighth-place finish at Bristol came after Larson finished second. Joey Logano won the NASCAR Cup Series race and moved into third place in the Chase standings, 16 points behind Larson.
The results have changed the NASCAR Chase picture after only three races. Hamlin started the playoffs with a sizeable points advantage, but Larson has produced three straight top-five finishes to open the Chase.
Hamlin Knows His NASCAR Results Must Improve
Hamlin said his recent NASCAR results are not enough to keep him near the top of the championship standings.
“Given how we’ve performed, we can’t continue to perform this way. Thirty-seven or 35 points a race is not enough. I’m gonna have to have better weeks than what I have here.”
The comments follow a strong regular season for Hamlin. He won four NASCAR Cup Series races and recorded 14 top-five finishes and 17 top-10 finishes before entering the Chase as the top seed.
Larson has now gained the advantage through his consistent NASCAR playoff results. He won at Gateway and followed that result with a runner-up finish at Bristol.
Hamlin also knows that failing to improve could cost him more ground.
“If not, we’re just gonna whittle our way down the standings little by little. But that’s not what I intend on doing.”
Kansas Speedway Gives Denny Hamlin Next NASCAR Chance
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Kansas Speedway on Sunday, September 27, for the fourth Chase race. Hamlin identified the track as an important opportunity to change his recent results.
“So, this is probably my best and favorite racetrack in Kansas,” Hamlin said.
Kansas also gives Hamlin a strong statistical record to build on. NASCAR’s post-Bristol Chase report noted that Hamlin has four career wins at Kansas, the most among active drivers. He has also finished inside the top five in every 1.5-mile race he has contested this season.
Hamlin won at Las Vegas earlier this year, and the NASCAR schedule now brings the playoff field into a three-race stretch of 1.5-mile tracks. Kansas is followed by Las Vegas on October 4 and the Charlotte Roval on October 11.
For Hamlin and the No. 11 team, the Kansas NASCAR race provides the next opportunity to regain the speed and consistency that helped them secure the top Chase seed.
NASCAR Cup Series: Denny Hamlin’s Championship Lead Is Slipping, and He Knows Why