Denny Hamlin makes Chase Elliott NASCAR prediction | Sports News

Denny Hamlin heaped reward on Chase Elliott after the Hendrick Motorsports driver narrowly beat him to the checkered line at Martinsville Speedway.

On Sunday, Elliott — who had an immediate realization after doing one thing uncommon — clinched his first win of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series marketing campaign within the Cook Out 400. The 30-year-old surged to the entrance late within the remaining stage following a warning period, earlier than efficiently holding off a collection of challenges from Hamlin within the closing laps.

At varied factors all through the race, Elliott’s prospects of coasting down victory lane appeared more and more distant. Hamlin dominated for a lot of the opening two levels, main 163 of the primary 169 laps.

Yet in response to Hamlin, Elliott’s dominant efficiency hardly got here as a shock given his sturdy displaying during apply and qualifying. “He was fast on Saturday,” The 23XI co-owner mentioned on the most recent episode of his ‘Actions Detrimental’ podcast.

“I thought he was gonna be one of the guys in the top-5 all day. I mean, he had a really good practice. He was actually the fastest in practice by the way we measure practice. He was really good, so I didn’t think it was a surprise. I don’t think he would’ve been surprised, if you didn’t watch the race and just saw the box score. But obviously the circumstances dictated it.”

By circumstances, Hamlin seemed to be addressing a late warning that allowed Elliott to grab the lead from Ross Chastain en path to main the ultimate 69 laps. Moments earlier, crew chief Alan Gustafson took a large gamble by pitting the No. 9 Chevrolet forward of most different frontrunners.

Over seven races this season, Elliott has amassed one win, 4 top-10 finishes and three top-5s. His regular outcomes lead Hamlin to consider that NASCAR’s eight-time hottest driver will flourish in The Chase, which stood because the de facto postseason format from 2004 to 2013 and can place larger worth on consistency throughout the playoffs.

Starting this yr, the Cup Series playoffs will characteristic no eliminations and make up the ultimate 10 races of the marketing campaign. Drivers who secure a race victory will even not obtain computerized entry into the postseason, thereby forcing groups to instill long-term methods moderately than counting on “lucky” victories.

And Hamlin has concluded with full certainty that Elliott shall be a top-5 finisher within the new format.

“They talked about, ‘Is the format really favoring people like Chase?’ It does, because he doesn’t make a lot of mistakes in the car,” Hamlin defined. “He gets the most out of his car most weeks. He’s gonna be there. Every year, he’s just a perennial inside the top-5 point guy. They find ways. On 3rd-and-15, they found a way.

“I think when it comes down to those last 10 races, I think that he will be — I don’t see a world in which they’re not a lock for top-5 in points. A lock without stuff that is out of his control that takes him out, because he’s just that consistent.”