But that means nothing as the NASCAR Cup Series enters the final three races of the season, with Denny Hamlin is once again running out of time to win his first title.
Denny Hamlin, and a NASCAR Cup Series championship. Tell me if you've heard it before: by now, he has to be the greatest NASCAR driver in history of "almost". And there might be even more of that in store for Hamlin with three races remaining in the 2026 season.
After the first six races, each featuring Kyle Larson finishing sixth or better. Most thought Phoenix Raceway was going to be a place where others could take it to Larson. And in most cases, drivers did.
Hamlin had the perfect opportunity to capitalize on Larson's rough day and DNF as well, but a flat tire and a speeding penalty on pit road once again hindered the No. 11 team.
Cards were there for Hamlin to strike, but he couldn't deliver
The flat tire in the second stage all but killed Hamlin's day. In fact, he finished off the lead lap for the first time all season.
Hamlin was second, 49 points back entering Phoenix, from championship leader Larson. While he trimmed that deficit to 31, he's now down to fourth, with his own teammates, Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe, starting to look at him in the rearview mirror as well.
A speeding penalty compounds the issue. https://t.co/vdEB7j6Jvo pic.twitter.com/JnkmNvNqh4
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 18, 2026
It's the same old story with Hamlin. He can be great all season, but chokes in the Chase. Go all the way back to before the "win and in" playoffs were implemented in 2014. Hamlin was always very successful, and he most memorably had a chance to dethrone Jimmie Johnson in 2010, but he couldn't deliver, as he threw away the title in the final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Here we are 16 years later, and Hamlin is throwing it away again.
3 races left, 7 drivers still in the hunt
While it was a dismal day for Hamlin and Larson, the fact of the matter is that with three races left in the season, we are all in for a treat.
Entering Talladega, Larson holds a slim five-point lead over Bell, with Briscoe just 24 points behind. Even Hamlin finds himself still in striking distance in fourth, but he's running out of races, and he hasn't sniffed victory lane since June. His teammates have been red hot, and now even his own driver has flexed his muscle at Phoenix.
Yep, Tyler Reddick is back in it after winning at Phoenix. He's seventh in the standings and only 56 points behind Larson.
It would be easy to say Hamlin can still win the title, but knowing how things have gone and always seem to go for the No. 11 team this time of year, he's bound to stumble again.
Seven drivers with a realistic shot sounds just like the 1992 championship, and boy was that a historic finish to that season. Perhaps we could see something very similar come November's season finale at Homestead.
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