“It’s all offense”: Denny Hamlin resets and remaps his playoff strategy after nervy Round of 16

Denny Hamlin secured his spot in the Round of 12 with a top-5 finish at the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. After the race, while acknowledging Kyle Larson's starry performance, Hamlin discussed his upcoming strategy and expectations for the next race.

Starting from the eighth position after a qualifying speed of 125.666mph in 15.269 seconds, Denny Hamlin's #11 car showed consistent prowess throughout the race. He ended Stage 1 in sixth place, climbed to third by the end of Stage 2, and ultimately concluded the race in fourth position. Notably, his 23XI Racing teammate, Bubba Wallace, edged him out by finishing third at Bristol.

Reflecting on the race overall during his post-race interview, Denny Hamlin shared his insights and experiences:

"My aspirations was to win it, you know, but it looked like the #5 there just was better than all of us. Yeah, solid car. I thought we were really good towards the middle stages. And then there at the end just got too loose and couldn't hang on to kind of what we had there. But overall top five day. Good stage points, kind of in the mix."

When asked about his upcoming race at Kansas and whether the performance at Bristol marked a turning point after less satisfactory finishes at Atlanta and Watkins Glen [P24 and P23, respectively], the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver stated:

"Certainly I mean, it's all offense from this point forward, so yeah, we're going to Kansas, the track we've been really really good at. Yeah, I'm looking forward to the rest of the run."

In the midst of challenges related to charter negotiations, and facing the possibility of losing charters if NASCAR opts not to engage further, Denny Hamlin approached the race at Bristol six points below the cutoff. However, he managed to accumulate 46 points during the event, propelling him into the Round of 12 where he now stands in sixth place with a seven-point buffer.

Meanwhile, his teammates Ty Gibbs and Martin Truex Jr., along with Brad Keselowski and Harrison Burton, did not advance to the Round of 12.

---

Denny Hamlin's message to his 23XI Racing driver, Bubba Wallace

Denny Hamlin articulated his expectations for 23XI Racing's Bubba Wallace following the renewal of his contract. Speaking at Bristol Motor Speedway, Hamlin emphasized the necessity for Wallace to consistently reach the playoffs and aim for high finishes. He expressed:

"Yeah, I mean the 23 team needs to make the playoffs every year. I think that's our expectation and then make a deep run and finish in the top ten in points. [...] Just getting in, it's hard for me to say that'd be the only expectation, but it is an expectation given the standards that we're giving ourselves."

While Denny Hamlin’s other driver, Tyler Reddick, concluded the elimination race in 20th place, his victory in the regular season championship has boosted the ambitions within 23XI Racing.