Denny Hamlin is 17 points away from making the 2024 NASCAR playoffs Championship 4 with just three races to go.
The American driver has finished inside the top five of the drivers’ standings in each of the last five seasons.
A victory would help guarantee his spot in the season finale at the Phoenix Raceway – and a chance to win his first NASCAR Cup Series championship.
The upcoming race at Homestead-Miami hasn’t been a circuit that he has shone at recently, but he has scored four top-10 finishes in his last five races in 2024.
Denny Hamlin aware that he ‘must’ score top-three finishes
Hamlin’s last top-two finish came 10 races ago in Richmond, so at some point soon he needs to break his run.
Speaking to On3 about the current NASCAR playoffs scenario, he placed his rivals into different categories depending on the results that they need.
READ MORE: Joey Logano makes not the ‘fastest car’ admission after vital NASCAR playoffs win in Vegas
“There’s a distinct cut-line now. We’re on the other side of it. If you want to talk about must-win, it’s probably going to be Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney, and if you’re going to talk about must-run top three in every stage and the race for the next two weeks, it’s me and [Tyler] Reddick.
“No exceptions. You must — if you don’t run in the top three every stage, that’s four stages, and the race, there’s no way we make up that kind of ground on [William] Byron, [Kyle] Larson or [Christopher] Bell.
“That’s assuming, also, that one of them doesn’t have a great week, you know, doesn’t have a great finish. So you need some help as well. It’s looking more and more clear on what needs to happen right away.”
Who are the favourites to make the NASCAR Championship 4?
As Hamlin mentioned, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson and William Byron are in excellent positions and would be unlucky not to make the cut.
Joey Logano’s surprise Las Vegas win thrust him into a great position, and within touching distance of making the cut with a top-three finish.
Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott are in must-win predicaments and could be eliminated if they suffer poor races in Miami.
Hamlin and Tyler Reddick are closer to making it, the former of which has taken the third-most stage wins in 2024.
It’s going to be a fascinating end to the season and should provide fans with plenty of action on the track throughout the remainder of the final three races.