Chase Elliott Weighs Rivalry Respect in Denny Hamlin Comparison

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Chase Elliott Weighs Rivalry Respect in Denny Hamlin Comparison

Originally posted on RFKRacingDigest
By Sabyasachi Biswas | Last updated May 6, 2026 5:06 PM ET

With two wins, Chase Elliott became the second driver to have multiple wins this season. As he is riding high, fans have been comparing him with multiple drivers and their statistics. However, when he was compared to Denny Hamlin, Elliott shut it down, bringing in respect amid rivalry.

“Obviously, he has won a hell lot more than I have,” Elliott told the media. “But lot of the races that I’ve been, had the opportunities to win or whatever, it seems like he and I are racing for wins a lot. So, I think there is a lot of mutual respect there. He shows me respect, I show him respect, and we can go out there and really race hard.”

Indeed, Denny Hamlin is a veteran when it comes to NASCAR. The Joe Gibbs Racing star has 728 races under his belt, where he picked up 61 wins. Hamlin also has 180 NOAPS and Truck Series races, with 20 wins.

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Compared to him, Elliott has nearly half the races (369) and 23 wins. However, the Hendrick Motorsports driver has a championship to his name, something Hamlin has been chasing for over two decades.

With that said, both Hamlin and Elliott are two of the most recognized drivers of the current generation, and as explained by the HMS man, there is indeed mutual respect between them.

Chase Elliott matched Ricky Rudd in NASCAR wins list

Hendrick Motorsports’ #9 driver, Chase Elliott, won the recently concluded Texas Motor Speedway race and reached 23 Cup Series race wins. As he reached the milestone, Elliott matched Rudd’s NASCAR record.

“It’s hard to win, so I’m really proud of our team for that and just proud of the day that we had,” Elliott said after the win. “It was, I would say, one of our strongest races that we’ve had in quite some time.”

Thanks to his victory, Elliott jumped to third place in the Drivers’ Standings with 409 points. He trails Tyler Reddick and Denny Hamlin by 117 and eight points after 11 races.

This article first appeared on RFKRacingDigest and was syndicated with permission.

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