Hamlin makes bold SVG NASCAR Playoff prediction – – Sports News
The eleventh-winningest driver in NASCAR Cup Series historical past, Denny Hamlin’s seek for a championship will proceed in earnest on Sunday within the opening race of the Round of 16 at Darlington Raceway.
The area for the primary spherical was locked in during Ryan Blaney’s triumphant comeback win on the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona on Saturday, with Alex Bowman and Tyler Reddick, who drives for Hamlin’s embattled 23XI Racing, securing the ultimate two spots.
However, whereas neither Bowman nor Reddick might have reached victory lane this season, Hamlin nonetheless expects each to succeed in the Round of 12 following the following three races at Darlington, World Wide Technology Raceway and Bristol Motor Speedway.
Instead, the 44-12 months-outdated expects to see the 2025 season’s joint-winningest driver, Shane van Gisbergen, fall on the first hurdle. The New Zealander, who, like Hamlin, has 4 wins this 12 months, has been completely dominant on highway programs, with 4 wins in 5 races.
But whereas the 36-12 months-outdated is growing more assured on ovals by the week in his first full-time Cup Series season, Hamlin doesn’t appear satisfied he’ll scrape by after the following three races, though he refused to rule it out.
“All he needs is a few of these guys to have lackluster days, and he just somehow goes in there and finishes top 20, and he’ll find himself in a decent spot going into that last cutoff race,” Hamlin mentioned on his ‘Actions Detrimental’ podcast of the three-time Supercars Championship winner.
Trackhouse Racing’s van Gisbergen, who just lately signed a multi-12 months extension with the group the place he can be joined by Xfinity Series starlet Connor Zilisch in 2026, enters the playoffs sixth in factors with 16.
Worth noting, nevertheless, is that whereas van Gisbergen is but to crack the highest 10 on an oval within the Cup Series, he has completed within the prime 20 within the final two oval races, together with sixteenth at Daytona. Furthermore, he got here home in twentieth earlier this season at Darlington, whereas a wreck at Bristol finally compelled him to retire on the Tennessee monitor in April. He has but to race at WWTR.
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Along with van Gisbergen, Hamlin additionally predicted Austin Cindric, Austin Dillon, and Josh Berry could be knocked out after the primary spherical.
As for Hamlin’s shot on the crown, the motive force of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota is feeling optimistic about his possibilities. “I feel as though that the tracks are all good,” he mentioned.
“We’re at more conventional ovals for the most part in the playoffs to get one road course, one super speedway, which is fair. I feel good about it. I mean, if it’s based off speed, we’re right there where we need to be. I don’t foresee any issues for us to make it.”
Hamlin, who has 58 profession wins to this point, additionally admitted that his aim is to hit 60 this season. This would imply he would tie Kevin Harvick for the tenth most profession wins, with Kyle Busch subsequent on the listing with 63.
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