Denny Hamlin gets brutally honest about return to Phoenix after devastating result, tragic offseason

Denny Hamlin will be back inside his No. 11 Toyota on Sunday — back at the place where he experienced the biggest heartbreak of his NASCAR career just four months ago. Phoenix Raceway is home to the fourth race on the 2026 Cup Series schedule.

It was also the site of the final race of the 2025 season where Kyle Larson was crowned champion of NASCAR’s premier series. But, for a while, it looked as if it would be Hamlin celebrating his first championship in NASCAR. Hamlin started on the pole at Phoenix, leading a championship race record 208 laps. He was well on his way to his first championship before one final caution changed everything.

William Byron blew a tire and hit the wall, forcing NASCAR to throw the caution. Hamlin and the field came down pit road, the No. 11 team opting to give him four fresh Goodyear tires. Larson and five others went with two tires while others stayed out, creating a sizeable gap between the Championship 4 competitors. Hamlin didn’t have enough time to catch Larson, who won his second championship.

Hamlin will be back at Phoenix this weekend. The only thing on his mind this time around is replicating what he did back in November, this time, ending his day in Victory Lane.

“Yeah, I mean, it certainly was a tough weekend we had there,” Hamlin told Jeff Gluck of The Athletic. “But, you know, for us, it’s about can we go out there and have another strong performance, you know, and hopefully didn’t lose anything in the offseason. So, I think we should go there and have high expectations.”

Denny Hamlin returning to Phoenix with one thing on his mind

Having a good day at Phoenix is a must for Hamlin, who sits 23rd in the points standings after three races. Hamlin is 126 points back of the top spot in the standings occupied by Tyler Reddick, who became the first driver to win the first three races of a season.

With the Chase format back in place, Hamlin knows it’s imperative he picks up as many points as possible every week. He maximized his run at COTA this past Sunday, finishing 10th for his first top 10 at the road course.

No, Hamlin didn’t get to Victory Lane. But given how he typically performs at road courses, a top 10 is nearly the equivalent to a win for him.

“It’s not a win, but it’s a top five on another racetrack. A top three. You know what I mean?” Hamlin said Monday. “Like, a win is big. You don’t get them that often. I don’t get top 10s on road courses often. But still a win on the weekend.”