“Hopefully He Cuts A Tire”—Denny Hamlin Details Only Scenario to Save Title Run Amid Sly NASCAR Dig

For Denny Hamlin, the championship picture has become a frustrating exercise in depending on somebody else’s misfortune. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has spent much of 2026 looking like a legitimate title favorite, only to watch his postseason unravel through costly mistakes and setbacks. Kyle Larson , meanwhile, has found the form that made him a champion, leaving Hamlin with an increasingly difficult route to his first Cup Series crown. The gap is now 73 points, with Martinsville and Homestead left on the schedule.