A Championship Run, a Fading Clock, and a Father Watching from Home

As the desert sun burned brightly on Thursday afternoon in Phoenix, Denny Hamlin cracked a wry smile inside the Phoenix Raceway media center for NASCAR Championship 4 Media Day. An uproar of laughter erupted when Hamlin admitted he’s “shocked” to see his name in the top ten of the NASCAR Most Popular Driver voting, let alone the top five, as it’s something the polarizing driver has “never” done before.

"Shocking. I don't know that I've ever been in the top 10. So that in itself was quite a shock," Hamlin said, shaking his head. "Yeah, I don't know what's changed. Certainly do appreciate it."

It was a rare moment of humility for a driver often seen among fans as braggadocious, a man long defined as one of NASCAR’s most talented, yet divisive, competitors. Perhaps fans are finally seeing a different side of Hamlin, one that’s been visible all season. This year, Hamlin has become calmer, reflective, and even grateful.

But beneath Hamlin’s composure lies something deeper. Hamlin’s father, Dennis Sr., has been in failing health. And while Denny has spent years chasing a championship that’s eluded him through endless heartbreak and near-misses, this weekend feels different.

It’s not just about legacy anymore. It’s about time, and the fleeting chance to share this moment with the man who first put a steering wheel in his hands.

This time around, his first Championship 4 appearance since 2021, Hamlin admits that he feels “less rushed”. For the Joe Gibbs Racing driver, preparation has replaced panic. Hamlin is one of the best active drivers at Phoenix Raceway, a track the driver knows like the back of his hand.

After scoring an emotional 60th career win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the opening race of the Round of 8, the driver and his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team have had the luxury of time to focus their efforts entirely on this race.

“This is the first time I’ve had significant time to prepare for the test,” Hamlin said.

He continued, “I don’t think there’s any one race that I’ve prepared for more than this one.”

This year, Hamlin has changed. He’s become less obsessed with the big picture and instead has been more in tune with the moment.

"I just wanted to get as many wins as I could. We accomplished that goal," Hamlin explained. "That mental mindset has been working for me. I go into this weekend the same way. Like I'm not thinking about the net goal and result of winning a championship or the net goal of beating the other three guys. It's how can I win this weekend, and if I do, everything else will work itself out."

While Hamlin remained calm through Thursday’s Media Day, the emotional stakes started to show themselves through Hamlin’s availability. Hamlin mentioned friends flying in. He mentioned his father, who will be watching from home, surrounded by old friends. Hamlin smiled, but his voice softened.

“One of my high school buddies is going to go to his house and watch it with him,” Hamlin said.

Hamlin knows what this weekend could mean. The possibility that this is likely the last chance for his dad to see him hoist the Bill France Cup, the ultimate prize for any NASCAR Cup Series driver.

For two decades, Hamlin has been NASCAR’s great contradiction: the perennial contender without a crown. He’s won 60 races, conquered nearly every major event, Daytona 500s, Southern 500s, Coca-Cola 600s, but for whatever reason, the championship has always slipped away.

Now, at 44, the question isn’t just about if he’ll finally win the championship, but when he’ll stop trying.

"I would certainly probably confirm that the pressure's probably most on me because these guys know they've got a long way to go," Hamlin said of his three competitors for the championship.

Hamlin is self-aware. He laughed about fans’ opinions of him, and reflected on his run-in with Chase Elliott at Martinsville in 2017, the race he feels truly made him a villain in the sport, and how moments like his Vegas win may have shifted that narrative. Hamlin is older, and perhaps a bit softer at the edges, and fans might finally be warming to a driver who’s learned to show the human beneath the helmet.

But while he may be softening, the desire to win has only strengthened for Hamlin.

As race day nears, Hamlin has begun to visualize what it would feel like to win the championship on Sunday. But he hasn’t hung himself up on the thought. He knows there’s a long way to go between now and a potential championship-winning performance on Sunday..

"I mean, [winning the championship would] certainly [be] bigger than all of 'em," Hamlin stated. "I mean, I think certainly to me the most emotional, sentimental win I had was my last. I just can't think of another that meant as much to me as that one. Certainly, this weekend could trump that. You can't get too far out ahead of your skis. I'm aware of the moment and the gravity of the situation."

For all the preparation, all the wins, all the years, this isn’t about proving anything anymore. It’s about giving one last gift to his father, to himself, and to a career defined by persistence.

And if Hamlin finally wins, the tears won’t just be for the title, they’ll be for the journey, the losses, and a father watching from home, who believed before anyone else that his son could drive with the best in the world.