Denny Hamlin reveals what he’ll tell his father about the lost NASCAR championship battle

Denny Hamlin entered Sunday’s race at Phoenix Raceway as the longest-tenured driver in the NASCAR Cup Series without a championship. The closest he has been to winning the title was back in 2010, when he finished the season second (on points) behind Jimmie Johnson.

So this time, a lot was at stake. Hamlin needed that title on his resume, but this year, the journey was more personal. It was for his dad, who is now 75 and battling serious health issues. He can’t travel and has to watch his son race on television. In a previous interview, Hamlin said,

“I know for a fact this is my last chance for my dad to see it. I don't want him going and never getting to see the moment.”

In the end, that moment did not arrive. Hamlin fell short of earning his most-awaited title. He led a race-high 208 of 312 laps and even swept Stage 2. Arguably, he was the most dominant driver at the one-mile, dogleg oval track. When asked what he would tell his dad, Denny Hamlin said (via Chris Knight on X),

“I did the best I could.”

Denny Hamlin fell to 11th on a slow pit stop but was able to regain the lead on a restart with 47 laps remaining. The Tampa, Florida, native thought that victory was in his grasp when William Byron blew his tire and hit the wall.

Furthermore, Hamlin was running on all fresh tires, unlike the newly crowned champion, Kyle Larson, and a few others. But Larson’s car had better grip, and during that two-lap overtime shootout, the Hendrick Motorsports icon sailed his No. 5 Chevy to the outside of Hamlin and held the lead for the final two miles.

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Denny Hamlin vows to go after “couple more shots” at the ultimate honor

Denny Hamlin will turn 45 in a few weeks, and given that most NASCAR drivers typically retire in their late 40s, he is unlikely to be around for a long time. On the other hand, drivers like Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, and Ryan Blaney, who are younger than Hamlin, have several years remaining to chase the championship.

That doesn’t mean that Hamlin will not try again next year. On that very note, he told Dave Burns of NBC Sports,

“I’ll try (to win a title again). I got a couple more shots at it.” “Nothing I can do different,” Hamlin continued. “Prepared as good as I could coming into the weekend. My team gave me a fantastic car. Just didn’t work out.“

Next up for Denny Hamlin is the 68th running of the Daytona 500. The crown jewel event, scheduled for February 16, 2026, will officiate the beginning of the 2026 Cup Series season.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua