Kyle Petty: Denny Hamlin 'is in attack mode' in NASCAR playoffs

Denny Hamlin went into the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway with one goal in mind, surviving the chaos, and advancing to the Round of 12. That’s exactly what he did, gaining the necessary stage points throughout the night, and finishing P4 on the evening.

Kyle Petty believes the performance was emblematic of the type of driver Hamlin is, and his mindset moving forward in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, as he’s in search of his first career title in 2024.

“In the words of the great Dale Jr, ‘It’s Bristol, baby!’ What an incredible race. Denny freaking Hamlin, that’s what it was all about,” Petty stated. “I said it in the pre race, he called a shot in 2012 at New Hampshire. He called a shot earlier this year at Dover. He didn’t call this shot, but he had to make this shot. They had to make something happen, after the first two poor performances in this round.

“He went out, got his stage points in Stage 1, got his stage points in Stage 2, and did what he needed to do. That’s what a champion team does, and that’s what a champion does. Denny’s in that championship mode, he’s in that championship chase, he’s in that championship mindset, probably more than I’ve seen him ever. We talk about it every year, but he’s in attack mode now.

“There’s only a few races left, but I think this is a guy that’s dangerous, because he has caught his second wind. He sees the future, and he sees Phoenix, and he can get there.”

Hamlin’s performance at Bristol was needed more than ever, as it’s been a tumultuous couple of weeks for the No. 11 team. Now, they get to reset ahead of Kansas, which is one of the veteran wheelman’s best tracks on the schedule.

Moreover, Petty isn’t the only one who believes Hamlin can overcome his struggles and end up fighting for the title in Phoenix. On The Teardown podcast, Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic explained how the veteran driver can take home the title. 

“They can absolutely win the championship, absolutely. I mean, they could win, they could win at Talladega or Kansas and it would not be a surprise,” Bianchi said. “Then, you go into Round Three, they could win at any of those three tracks. They could win at Vegas, Homestead or Martinsville, and they sure as hell can win at Phoenix. They can absolutely win the championship.

“Are they snakebit a little bit? Absolutely. Have they not had the finishes that correspond with their speed? Yes. Are they to the level they were at — the same level they were at earlier in the year? No, they’re not. But this still, this team, is still so good, and while consistency is great, and you can point your way to the next round, this team is also good enough to win a race, and if that’s what they need to do, I feel like they’re going to do it.”

Alas, Denny Hamlin has gone from championship contender to the veteran driver trying to surprise some people over the course of the 2024 season, but Kyle Petty and company aren’t counting out the Joe Gibbs Racing wheelman over the final seven races of the season.