Denny Hamlin won the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway on Sunday, marking the 59th career win for the 20-year NASCAR Cup Series veteran.
That leaves him only one victory away from 60 for his career, a mark he'll almost certainly achieve. It would tie him with Kevin Harvick for 10th place on the all-time list, while leaving him only three wins from equaling his longtime Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch for ninth.
It's always notable to watch a driver climb into the upper echelon of the all-time winner ranks. It's also something we might never see again, and that's a crying shame.
Dominance is neutralized in the Next Gen era, and it's a problem
Will @dennyhamlin be the last driver to reach 60 wins in the Cup Series? @kylepetty thinks so. pic.twitter.com/TLnLs1Dymi
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 8, 2025
Kyle Petty said the quiet part out loud on Monday: Hamlin's chase could very well be the last of its kind for many years to come. Behind him on the all-time wins list among active drivers are Joey Logano with 37, Brad Keselowski with 36, and Kyle Larson with 32, while nobody else has more than Chase Elliott's 20.
Larson is obviously the most likely next candidate to start hitting significant milestones, but it's no sure thing. He's already 33, and given his dabbling in other racing series, it would be less surprising than most if he walks away from NASCAR earlier than one might expect. To hit 60, he will need to average three wins per year for the next 10 years. It's doable, but it's not as easy as it sounds.
Of course, had it not been for the introduction of the spec Next Gen car in 2022, Larson might already be knocking on the door. During the 2021 season, his first with Hendrick Motorsports, he won 10 times. This remains the only year of his career in which he was both driving equipment capable of dominating and that the car itself wasn't artificially neutered so everyone could run similar speeds.
The same can really be said about any other top-tier driver whose career began after Larson, such as Elliott, Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Christopher Bell, and Tyler Reddick. All of them entered their primes in an era during which winning more than six races in a single season is unheard of.
Additionally, due to the random nature of the current playoff format, it's significantly harder to rack up titles. Only Logano has more than two out of all active drivers, and given the way his No. 22 team has repeatedly gamed the system, it's hard to take him seriously as some immortal legend.
Some fans may enjoy the parity, but in the long run, it's horrible for the sport. It's not healthy when there's a driver or team incapable of being challenged, such as Alex Palou's IndyCar dynasty or most Formula 1 seasons, but it's equally harmful when the field is designed to be so equal to the point where there are no superstars.
Let's face it: NASCAR today has no superstars. There will never be another Dale Earnhardt or Jeff Gordon, someone who can be a household name even among non-race fans. There will never be another Jimmie Johnson, who might not have been as iconic as those two but firmly solidified his GOAT case by dominating the most talent-stacked era in Cup Series history.
Those drivers were special. They raised the standard. They made the sport mean more. But the best possible scenario any young star today can hope for is Hamlin's career: being very, very good for a very long time.