Denny Hamlin explains Martin Truex Jr's likely strategy in regular-season finale at Daytona

Denny Hamlin has an idea of what strategy Martin Truex Jr. could deploy to hold Hamlin off from passing him for the NASCAR Cup Series regular season title.

Truex Jr. has the lead over his teammate entering Daytona, but it’s not impossible for Hamlin to catch him. However, it would take a gigantic effort from Hamlin, and Truex Jr. to have an awful day at the track, so Hamlin is expecting an interesting strategy from the No. 19 team.

“Yes, he would just hangout at the back,” Hamlin responded, asked if Truex should just avoid crashing at all costs to secure a regular season title, via Actions Detrimental. “Even still, if he doesn’t crash, it doesn’t matter if we win both stages and he collects zero. I’m still, you know — how far am I behind, 39 (points)? Then I would still have to win the race also, and him finish fifteenth or worse.

“So he just needs to not crash. … Or he can just race it out and run right next to me, and wherever I run, he runs. You know, Ty [Gibbs] is going to want as many pushers as he can get, and if Martin’s in the back, that’s not helping Ty. Because he’s going to try to out-point Bubba, I would think.”

Alas, you can’t blame Truex Jr. if that’s how he chooses to roll on Saturday. The risk simply doesn’t outweigh the reward for the Joe Gibbs Racing wheelman, even if it could hurt his fellow teammate Ty Gibbs in his hunt for the playoffs.

Nevertheless, it’ll be fascinating to see what Martin Truex Jr. decides to do, and if Denny Hamlin makes a beeline for the regular season title on Saturday at Daytona.

Denny Hamlin explains why he’d push Bubba Wallace at Daytona over teammate Ty Gibbs

Meanwhile, Denny Hamlin could find himself in quite the dilemma during this Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway.

With Daytona being the final race before the playoffs begin next month, Bubba Wallace sits right on the cutline in the 16th and final position, 32 points ahead of Ty Gibbs. Wallace, as we know, is the face of 23XI Racing, while Gibbs is the upstart rookie with Joe Gibbs Racing [JGR]. In Wallace’s case, Hamlin is his boss — co-owner of 23XI Racing. Gibbs, meanwhile, is Hamlin’s JGR teammate. 

So, what happens if both Wallace and Gibbs are coming off Turn 4 with the checkered flag and a spot in the playoffs in reach with Hamlin behind them? Hamlin went over the possible scenario during his “Actions Detrimental” podcast Monday, saying that if it came down to it, he’d push Wallace past the start-finish line. 

“The 23,” Hamlin said. “I own the car, for one. I mean, that’s the biggest factor. By the letter of the law, I probably should be pushing Ty, [but] Ty’s got plenty of years. He’s 20 years old, he’s gonna be in this sport for 20 plus years and he’s gonna win championships. I am financially invested in the 23, I think Bubba has paid his dues and he’s a deserving playoff driver… Saw it last year when he drove the 45 car to a top-10 in points. I just think he’s ready and he deserves a shot at it. 

“This is not saying that Ty — Ty has put together a rookie season that needs to be mentioned more. He’s above the curve I thought he was gonna be. I’m really impressed with Ty Gibbs, I mean, he was eating up my back bumper all day yesterday [at Watkins Glen], but if JGR or if anybody at JGR has a problem with me pushing Bubba, we gotta have a talk. 23XI is a big partner at Joe Gibbs Racing. I think that they know where my allegiance would lie with this one.”