NASCAR

Denny Hamlin Can Win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Title

By Ryan Pritt on November 13, 2014

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From the start of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Denny Hamlin has said that if he could just get to Homestead he would be a threat to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup title. On Sunday, he will have the opportunity to make good on his words.

Hamlin and his Joe Gibbs teammates Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch haven’t quite had the speed that the Penske and Hendrick cars have had this season, but the No. 11 team overcame obstacles and turned in a consistent enough performance over the past nine races to earn a berth into the final four. That includes three straight top-10 finishes in the Eliminator round, his second-longest streak of top-10s this season.

It’s a shot of redemption for Hamlin, who let a title slip through his hands in heartbreaking fashion. The general consensus is that the lessons learned from that painful experience could pay dividends this time around. Even Hamlin said he’s treating this year’s experience much differently.

“That’s what I did for 35 races and I changed that for one race and it won’t be the case this time around,” Hamlin said. ” Just racing much looser and having fun with this moment. You never know, especially with this type of format. Live it up and have some fun.”

Though Hamlin may not be as much of a favorite as Kevin Harvick or Joey Logano this Sunday, it doesn’t take too much research to make a strong case for Hamlin pulling it off. The numbers would certainly support Hamlin as he has two wins at the track including a victory in season finale last season. The other chasers — Logano, Harvick and Ryan Newman — have combined for zero wins at Homestead. In nine races at the track, Hamlin has piled up five top-10 and four top-five finishes. Toss in what is considered one of if not the best pit crews in the business, and Hamlin can win on Sunday in several different ways.

But maybe even more important than the statistics is the calm confidence Hamlin has demonstrated throughout the Chase. Even after falling off the lead lap more than once at Phoenix last week, there was never a sense of panic, a clear sign of maturity in comparison to the 2010 season.

Hamlin has just seven top-fives this season, but another one on Sunday could be enough to claim the Sprint Cup title. Hamlin has maintained that there is no place he’d rather have the opportunity than Homestead.

“Our test went really, really well there,” Hamlin said. “We’re going to be the underdogs. … I told you all before the Chase started that I feel better about winning Homestead than Martinsville (where I have my most wins), and after the test we had there two weeks ago, I still believe that.”

Ryan Pritt is a NASCAR writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter @RPritt, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.