Is Denny Hamlin on the verge of playoff elimination? Points, must-win scenario explored

Denny Hamlin's prospects for advancing in the playoffs took a hit following a disheartening finish at P23 in the Watkins Glen race, the second race of the NASCAR Series playoffs. Currently standing at 13th position, Bristol represents the last chance for him to advance to the Round of 12, as he faces potential elimination from the playoffs along with three other drivers, currently Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., and Harrison Burton.

Initially positioned sixth in the playoff standings at the start of the playoffs before entering Atlanta, Hamlin encountered a setback due to a wreck, plummeting to P11 after earning just 13 points. His subsequent performance at Watkins Glen caused a further drop in the standings to P13, positioning him among the bottom four drivers in the playoff standings.

Looking ahead, Denny Hamlin's prospects for continuing in the playoffs hinge on his performance at Bristol Motor Speedway. With an impressive track record there, boasting an average finish of 13.6 across 34 starts, including victories in his last two appearances, Bristol will be his last chance to revive his championship aspirations.

Hamlin stands out as the only driver with multiple wins this season who finds himself below the crucial P10 mark. The 43-year-old finds himself six points shy of the cutoff for advancing to the Round of 12. William Byron, who has amassed an equal number of wins—three—this season, currently occupies the P10 slot.

At Watkins Glen on Sunday, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver crashed twice during the race. Initially, he was involved in an incident with Corey Lajoie and Kyle Busch at the bus stop.

NASCAR: Playoff Media Day - Source: Imagn

The collision resulted in substantial damage to his #11 Toyota Camry after being shunted into the Armco barrier before turn 5. Although his crew managed to make swift repairs, Hamlin fell a lap down but regained his position at the end of Stage 1 through a free pass, rejoining the fray.

Complications continued into Stage 3 when Hamlin, attempting an ambitious three-wide maneuver with Brad Keselowski and Kyle Larson through the esses—which is the narrowest section of the Watkins Glen track—found himself pushed back into the fence alongside RFK Racing co-owner, Keselowski.

The misstep marked his second lap loss on the 2.45-mile road course. Despite the setbacks, a succession of yellow flags allowed him to claw back into the top-20, though he spent the majority of the race lingering in the 30s.

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Denny Hamlin remains undeterred despite a challenging start to the playoffs

Despite enduring two difficult races at the outset of the playoffs, Denny Hamlin shared a positive outlook in his post-race reflections, expressing confidence in his abilities at the upcoming race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

During the interview, Hamlin said,

"It's not over yet. It's not over till the end of Bristol and obviously, we're going at a track we know how to perform. I'm really proud of the effort that they have ruined. (Ran) mid-30s all day long and then finished 23rd there due to some attrition and a good late restart" [via NBC].

Hamlin also commented on his performance at Watkins Glen, noting,

"Great effort to keep us in it. Obviously, the car is just destroyed. To finish 23rd, I guess is a positive. We were in a worse place that mostly all day and luckily, we had some attrition at the end that helped us out" [via NASCAR].

Given Denny Hamlin's strong track record on short tracks such as Bristol and Richmond, where he secured victories earlier this year, NASCAR enthusiasts would likely continue to have confidence in the #11 advancing to the second round of the playoffs.