As the NASCAR playoffs heads into the final eight, there is a slim 20-point gap between second and eighth in the standings.
However, there is also a 20-point gap between second and the leader, as Kyle Larson’s sixth victory of the season at the Charlotte Roval has given him a bonus 52 points after the points reset.
The No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports driver took victory in commanding fashion over Christopher Bell in second and William Byron in third. But he is perhaps not feeling as relaxed as many may think as Larson expressed his worry over being on the edge of crashing and ruining his championship chances.
With six wins and 16 top 10 finishes in 2024 and with a decent gap over Bell in the standings heading into the Round of Eight, many would think there would not be as much pressure on Larson. But, one driver who will be feeling the pressure going into the next round is Denny Hamlin.
Kevin Harvick names Denny Hamlin as the ‘least impressive’ driver in the NASCAR playoffs
The No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver has had a difficult playoff campaign so far as he managed to scrape through to the Round of 12 with fourth place at Bristol, having finished outside the top 20 at Atlanta and Watkins Glen.
In the next round, Hamlin suffered issues on pit road in Kansas and left him eighth. Hamlin’s comments after the race left Kevin Harvick furious as the JGR driver claimed he was not mentally in it.
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Hamlin managed to avoid the ‘big one’ at Talladega and finished in 10th and came home 14th last time out at the Roval to secure his spot in the next round.
But speaking on his Happy Hour Podcast, Harvick was again critical of Hamlin as he labelled him as the ‘least impressive’ playoff driver from the previous round and that the next three races will get him the ‘reset’ he may need.
“Well, I think from the round we just had, I still think that Denny Hamlin was still the least impressive,” he said.
“I think they got lucky at Talladega and you’ve got to have some luck and they haven’t had a lot of great luck. So, to get some good luck, I think [that] put them on their way to making it to the third round.
“I think this gives them a reset. I think that they still have the most pressure on them to go out and perform and do the things that they need to do on tracks that they think are going to be good for them.”
What does Denny Hamlin need to do to reach the Championship Race?
Heading into the next race at Las Vegas, Hamlin is sixth in the standings having collected 15 bonus points through his victories at Bristol, Richmond and Dover in the regular NASCAR season.
The 43-year-old is only eight points away from fourth place Byron and with such a slim margin between the playoff drivers, some aggressive and tense racing is sure to be expected in the next three races.
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Hamlin has proven that the next three tracks can suit him and can lead to some performances, having finished 10th at Las Vegas and third at Martinsville last year.
However, with his current form in the playoffs, the JGR driver will have to pick it up a gear if he wants to compete with his rivals, given that they too have speed at these tracks.