Dale Earnhardt Jr: Denny Hamlin ‘deserves’ to win NASCAR Cup Series championship

The most important trophy missing from Denny Hamlin’s résumé is a NASCAR Cup Series championship. Dale Earnhardt Jr. believes the veteran wheelman deserves to finally add one to his list of accolades.

It feels like this might be Hamlin’s best shot, as he’s been dominant at times throughout the season. On the latest episode of the Dale Jr. Download, the two-time Daytona 500 winner shared his thoughts on Hamlin and the long-elusive title.

“I will say that, you know, when I look at Joe Gibbs Racing, there’s one constant. A lot of drivers have come and gone through that organization. Some have even won championships and were eventually let go. And I’m not just talking about Kyle Busch. Bobby Labonte won a championship with them, and just a few years later, they moved on,” Earnhardt Jr. stated.

“One thing that’s been a constant is Denny Hamlin. He’s like the R.E.M. of NASCAR—just making music. I think it’s so impressive, and he deserves to win a championship. He deserves to know what that feels like. With all the wins, all the trophies in the house, all the memories of his career—he deserves to have that championship trophy. Would he be a unicorn if he ended it all without that title? By far. I think he’d be one of the—there’s no real comparison. Maybe Mark Martin.”

Hamlin’s résumé already stacks up well against anyone’s in NASCAR history. He just captured his 59th career win this past weekend and shows no signs of slowing down.

Still, Hamlin insists a championship isn’t necessary for him to feel complete, as he told the media: “It’s always been about number of races,” Hamlin stated, alluding to a championship not being the reason he’d stay behind the wheel. “The only one I thought about was this year and the Daytona 500, thinking that probably only going to do this twice more. Brickyards, right? I haven’t won the freaking Brickyard. I’m going to have two more shots at it, and that’s it, to round this thing out. 

“There’s certain races that I do have countdowns for. Championships isn’t one of ’em. Obviously, it’s well-documented that I want to get the wins, and I feel like that will carry its weight long after. When you compare me to someone that’s maybe got one or two, maybe three championships, and half the wins, I don’t think that person’s better than I am.”

Hamlin is certainly worthy of a championship. Whether it happens or not, he isn’t stressing. For him, it’s always been about the wins—and he’s had plenty of those in a career destined for the Hall of Fame.