Richard Petty’s feelings clear on Denny Hamlin’s – Sports News
NASCAR royalty Richard “The King” Petty believes Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin is staring down maybe the best alternative of his storied Cup Series profession to win a championship.
Seven-time champion Petty’s declare got here after a visibly emotional Hamlin received the sixtieth race of his profession, the South Point 400, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, regardless of having solely led 9 laps in complete in a race largely dominated by teammate Chase Briscoe and Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson.
In the most recent version of Petty Family Racing’s ‘Race Recap,’ the 88-year-old 200-time race-winner stated of Hamlin, “He’s had a pretty dang good year. I mean, you win 60 races nowadays, that’s a bunch of races. So his team and him, the whole situation, this is probably his best chance he’s ever had to have a chance at the championship.”
Hamlin’s series-leading sixth win of this season, separating himself from Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen on 5, he’ll now head into the second Round of 8 race at Talladega Superspeedway because the joint tenth winningest driver in Cup Series historical past.
Tied with former champion Kevin Harvick, Hamlin is now simply three wins adrift from Richard Childress Racing’s two-time champion Kyle Busch in ninth.
And whereas pushing for 63 may very well be a stretch this season, it might not be off the playing cards totally, with Hamlin having received at every of this season’s three remaining tracks no less than twice.
Of course, along with his Playoff destiny now secured for the time being, Hamlin’s focus can flip to the finale at Phoenix Raceway. But whereas this three-week wait might play on the nerves of some, at this stage in his profession, it appears Hamlin is at peace regardless of what occurs within the championship battle, particularly figuring out that his ailing dad bought to watch his landmark victory.
“Truthfully, I don’t get nervous anymore, but I will at some point, it will kick in where it’s like, ‘Is this my last chance to do it?’” Hamlin admitted post-race. “Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t, but I just know that I’m going to do it, do the work, and I hope it works out.
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“If it doesn’t, I’m gonna be okay with it. I’ve had a season that far exceeded what I thought it would. But yeah, I mean, it’ll set in. I’ll get nervous, certainly, over the next few weeks about it, but I’m going to be nervous about the things that I control, not the other things.
“You guys have seen it. There’s been weird and crazy things that have kept me from winning a title or advancing to have a chance to, and I’ve said many times, if you get enough chances, eventually the tides will turn, and it’s like, did they start turning today? Maybe.”
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