Denny Hamlin has won at Talladega twice. He’s also been around long enough to know that having a plan for the 2.66-mile superspeedway doesn’t necessarily mean much once the green flag drops.
But with NASCAR’s championship Chase heading to Alabama this weekend, Hamlin sees a problem that could make Sunday’s YellaWood 500 particularly messy.
Too many drivers need points. And too few can afford to give any away.
Seven drivers enter Talladega within 56 points of championship leader Kyle Larson, with only three races remaining. Hamlin, who sits 31 points back, believes that pressure will change how the contenders approach a track where drivers have traditionally weighed the benefits of racing up front against the risk of getting caught in a wreck.
This weekend, he doesn’t expect much patience.
Denny Hamlin Explains Why Talladega Could Get Ugly
Speaking on his “Actions Detrimental” podcast, Hamlin made it clear he won’t be spending Sunday riding around at the back of the field.
“There is no game plan,” Hamlin said. “The game plan is to go out there and try to run as far up front as I possibly can.”
His next comment was even more revealing.
“If we crash, we crash, and hopefully the other six guys are with me.”
It’s a harsh way to look at a championship race, but Hamlin’s reasoning isn’t difficult to follow. If he gets caught in a wreck while the other contenders finish up front, his title hopes take a serious hit. If they’re all involved, the damage to his position in the standings could be much smaller.
And he expects the same urgency from the drivers he’s chasing.
“The circumstances are different. You think Tyler Reddick’s gonna fight for every stage point? He’s 56 back. You think Joey Logano’s gonna fight for every stage point? How about Ryan Blaney? How about me?”
That could create trouble when the field approaches the end of each stage.
“So, like, I’m telling you that the blocks will be massive, and someone’s gonna make a bad one, and it’s gonna be a big old crash.”
NASCAR’s Championship Battle Leaves Little Room for Caution
Hamlin’s comments come after a difficult afternoon at Phoenix, where a flat tire and pit road speeding penalty contributed to a 28th-place finish.
Even so, he gained 18 points on Larson, whose own problems resulted in a 34th-place finish. Larson’s once-comfortable championship lead is now down to five points over Christopher Bell.
Talladega presents a very different challenge.
The Cup Series’ spring visit featured a 26-car accident on Lap 115 that involved Larson, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano and several other contenders. It was a reminder that running near the front offers no guarantee of staying out of trouble.
And Sunday’s field won’t consist entirely of drivers worried about championship points.
Hamlin noted that competitors outside the title fight have their own priorities, adding another unpredictable element to an already tense race.
For the championship contenders, that’s the dilemma. They need to race aggressively enough to collect points without making the kind of mistake that could cost them the title.
Hamlin isn’t pretending there’s a safe solution.
He’s going to race for everything he can get. And he expects plenty of company.