Why Denny Hamlin will make a serious run at NASCAR title in 2026 after '25 heartbreak

Nearly two months removed from Denny Hamlin's heartbreaking loss in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series championship race at Phoenix Raceway, the 60-time Cup Series winner must prepare for his 21st season behind the wheel of the No. 11 car at Joe Gibbs Racing. 

The expectations will be the same as they always are for Hamlin: multiple wins and a run at the championship, which he's been chasing for two decades. 

But after coming so incredibly close to finally snagging the prize a season ago, will Hamlin be able to replicate his high level of performance from 2025?

Why Denny Hamlin will rebound

For starters, Hamlin is no longer immersed in a court battle between the team he co-owns, 23XI Racing, and NASCAR. Crew chief Chris Gayle, who first worked with Hamlin in 2025, proved to be a fantastic pairing for the veteran driver. And then there's the motivation that comes with losing a championship that he was less than three laps from winning. 

The 45-year-old is driving at arguably the highest level of his career, having won six races in 2025. He's won at least two in every season since 2019. 

Hamlin's finishes weren't always consistent, but that wasn't for a lack of speed. Hamlin led 1,024 laps in 2025, the first time he eclipsed the 1,000 laps led mark since 2021. 

The aforementioned Gayle is also a big piece of the puzzle. Gayle won the 2022 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series championship with Ty Gibbs before leading Gibbs through his first two Cup Series seasons. 

2025 was Gayle's breakout season atop a Cup Series pit box, and with his skills now a known quantity throughout the Cup Series garage, there's even more of a reason to believe that Hamlin will be once more one of the favorites to win a race on any given weekend.