Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Denny Hamlin Admits to a ‘Never-Before’ Advantage After Vegas Win

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Gowtham Ramalingam | Last updated Oct 14, 2025 3:54 AM ET

Denny Hamlin has carried the burden of being the greatest NASCAR driver without a championship for the past several years. But after Win No. 60 and a Championship 4 spot fell in his lap at Las Vegas on Sunday, he feels the weight could be off him at the end of the season finale at Phoenix, thanks to a key advantage he now has.

He said on "Actions Detrimental" a day after his exploits in Vegas, "We're going to have a great shot at it. Things are hard to predict. It's one race. Just when do the cautions fall? What about all the other stuff? But I'm looking forward to it. I definitely can get better at Phoenix. I certainly am going to spend the time to try to work on getting better there."

"I've got some extra time now to work on it. I haven't had that. I don't know. I don't know if it's ever been." Five out of the nine past Cup Series champions have been the ones who won the opening race of the Round of 8. This stat is something he takes optimism from as well, and pointed out that it wasn't 'nothing'.

NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin (11) and crew pose for photos following his victory of the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The remaining two races of the Round of 8 will play out at Talladega and Martinsville. Hamlin can take these two weeks at ease and not race more aggressively than necessary. His contenders, who are still looking to lock in one of the three Championship 4 spots, however, will be racing with desperate fire in their engines and hearts.

One Week, Not Two

The consensus after his victory on Sunday is that he now has two weeks of an advantage over his competitors to prepare for the Phoenix race. But this isn't entirely true. He continued to explain that every driver will be preparing for Phoenix this week and not Talladega.

He said, "I think that everyone in the top 8 is working on Phoenix this week because Talladega is... you're running the same setup you ran for the last three years at that racetrack. From a driver, it's all circumstantial. It's not like you're learning different lines and stuff. So, I think this week people were probably working on Phoenix."

"And so, the advantage then goes to Martinsville week. That time, I stay on Phoenix and then the field goes to Martinsville and works on that." One week or two, Hamlin has a big advantage over the others at the end of the day. With fan sentiment turning in favor of him as well, it appears Hamlin is destined to be a Cup Series champion in 2025.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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