Denny Hamlin's late crash shows how far drivers will go for a win

It should be noted that Hamlin's points situation is much better than most, as the veteran is locked into the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs with two victories, but Sunday's late-race incident shows just how far drivers will go to even have a chance at the win.

While some drivers, such as Mark Martin, didn't always have a "Checkers or Wreckers" approach to racing, those that did, such as Cale Yarborough, Junior Johnson and for a modern-day example, Larson, become infamous for the times they wreck in crunch time more so than the triumphs that result from their aggressiveness. 

Sometimes, such as with Larson's pit road crash at Homestead last year, that aggressiveness can seem over the top, but if you're in Hamlin's situation, with two wins under your belt and a team that can win week in and week out, why wouldn't you keep your foot firmly on the loud pedal?

Despite the his 30th place finish, Hamlin still sits third in the regular season standings, sitting behind two Cup Series champions in Larson and Martin Truex Jr. 

The biggest takeaway from Sunday's race, as far as Hamlin is concerned, shouldn't be his failure to win, but rather the absurd amount of speed he's shown this season — he's the only Cup Series driver to lead laps in all nine Cup Series races this year, and he was also the winner of the Busch Clash, an exhibition event that took place two weeks before the Daytona 500. 

Regardless of Sunday's final result, Hamlin is one of the top drivers in NASCAR so far this season, and with his late crash, he proved just how far he'll go — and how hard he'll drive — in order to chase down a victory.