“I know that I’m a championship caliber driver”: Denny Hamlin happy with the state of his legacy despite no Cup title

So far in his NASCAR Cup career, Denny Hamlin has won pretty much everything. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has won over 50 races in the Cup Series, 3 Daytona 500, and other crown jewel races, but one thing that eludes him is a championship.

Despite that, Hamlin is happy with his legacy. In fact, he believes he's better than other drivers who have won a championship.

"I know that I’m a championship-caliber driver. I’ll just say it. I think there’s been worse drivers win a championship than me. I just feel that way just because of things that have worked out," he said after winning at Dover as per Speedway Digest.

Hamlin further challenged anyone to find a driver who believes championships are the same as they were a decade do. To the Joe Gibbs Racing driver, things aren't the way they once were. Having said that, he mentioned the kind of legacy he would prefer to have as a driver.

"I care about wins and winning every single week because in the end I absolutely would take 60-some wins and no championship over 20 and one. It’s just not even close," Hamlin added.

Denny Hamlin happy to win against the champion Kyle Larson

At Dover, Denny Hamlin showcased his skills behind the wheel as he defended with Kyle Larson behind him. And accomplishing that, defending successfully against Larson was what made the #11 driver happy.

"I just think it’s fun to be able to do it. When you can do it against someone that you really consider a big challenger in Kyle Larson, he’s a champion, not a challenger. I’m probably the challenger. I think it certainly helps your ego a little bit. Like I need that," Hamlin said.

With his win at Dover, Denny Hamlin now has 54 wins in NASCAR's top flight. He is now equal to Lee Petty and one win away from Rusty Wallace.

But his goal is to be in the top 10 one day. Doing that would be something that would "speak for itself and the resume" as per Hamlin. And doing that would take eight more wins.

So far this season he's had three already, and the way things are going for him, the #11 team, and Toyotas, he might as well end up with 11 wins this year and break into the top 10 all-time win list.