Denny Hamlin Aiming for Fourth Daytona 500 Victory

Drivers are defined by their success on the track. Their legacy is tied to a number of wins, championships, and crown jewel victories. The seven-time champion club of Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and Jimmie Johnson is well-known. Others, like Mark Martin and Denny Hamlin are often remembered for their inability to win a championship.

The question comes up every year with Hamlin. Is this the year? Will he finally win a Cup title and cement his legacy as one of the top drivers in the history of the sport? The 42-year old is still chasing that elusive goal, but he is creating his own history along the way.

Hamlin comes into Daytona as one of the favorites, and for good reason. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is a three-time winner of the Great American Race, and hopes to capture his fourth tomorrow. Doing so would tie him with Cale Yarborough for 2nd on the all-time list.

Winning the Daytona 500 is the number one goal, even for those that have already won it. Some legendary names have come and gone without ever winning on NASCAR's biggest stage. That includes former champions like Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Rusty Wallace, Brad Keselowski, the Labonte brothers, and Hamlin's teammate, Martin Truex Jr.

Those seven champions have 144 combined Daytona 500 starts, but none have been to victory lane.

Hamlin might be on the back end of his career as a driver, but he could still potentially add more wins at Daytona as a team owner. He would join an elite list if his 23XI Racing team wins. Lee Petty, Junior Johnson, Richard Petty, Earnhardt, and Gordon are the only ones to have won the Daytona 500 as both a driver and owner. Hamlin will start 18th tomorrow in his No. 11 Toyota.

In terms of crown jewel wins, nobody has been better than Hamlin. In addition to his three Daytona 500 victories, he has three Duel wins at Daytona. Hamlin is also a three-time Southern 500 winner. He won the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte last year, and won the 2015 All-Star race there as well.

The one crown jewel race that has eluded him is the Brickyard 400, which he came close to winning on several occasions. In the final race in 2020, Hamlin crashed from the lead with six laps remaining when a right-front tire went down on his car. The race moved to the infield road course and has not returned to the oval since. Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Doug Boles recently said that a return to the famed oval may come sooner than later.

With 48 wins and 36 poles on his Cup resume, Hamlin should be a lock for the Hall of Fame once the sun sets on his driving days. Whether or not he finally gets that elusive championship will be important, but he won't let it define his career. Until then, he will keep collecting wins and doing so on the biggest stage.

Hamlin’s next opportunity is less than 24 hours away.