Denny Hamlin has won four of NASCAR's five crown jewel races and this Sunday is the best chance he's ever had to get his fifth: The Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
SPEEDWAY, Ind. — When you ask NASCAR Cup Series drivers about which races are the "majors" of the sport, you'll get five common responses.
Everyone will list off the Daytona 500, the Southern 500 and the Coca-Cola 600, as well as the Bristol Night Race.
Denny Hamlin has won all four of those but drivers also mention a fifth major, which he hasn't won: the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectHamlin has come close to winning the Brickyard 400 multiple times. In three different editions of the Brickyard 400, he was passed for the final lead change by a Cup champion:
- 2008: Passed by Jimmie Johnson on a late-race restart in the tire-torn race
- 2018: Passed by Brad Keselowski with two laps to go after leading the most laps (37)
- 2020: Passed by Kevin Harvick after blowing a tire and hit the wall with seven to go
USA TODAY SportsIn 2024, Hamlin started second and led 21 laps but crashed late in that race too.
Hamlin's quest to kiss the bricks is much like his ongoing quest for his first Cup title: Close in so many years but coming up short in defeat from a variety of circumstances that paved the way for someone else to taste glory instead.
Many have asked that one question about Hamlin's quest for the Cup as he leads the points standings heading into the Brickyard 400. That same question applies here:
Could this finally be Denny Hamlin's year?
If Hamlin is going to win at Indy, this is his year.
Toyota is at the peak of their speed and Hamlin has won at both of the comparable tracks to Indy: Michigan and Pocono. He has shown speed anywhere and his team has executed flawlessly in key moments.
Hamlin is locked into the Chase and has a substantial margin over second so he just needs to be consistent the next five weeks.
However, he believes they should get one more win before the Chase begins. With Indy likely favoring Toyota, this is the weekend for him.
Winning the Brickyard 400 could ultimately propel Hamlin to a bigger prize in November. Before the 2014 introduction of the elimination-style Chase, this was often known as a race that year's champion would often win. In fact, eight of the first 16 winners of the Brickyard 400 went on to win the championship after winning at Indy:
- 1998: Jeff Gordon
- 1999: Dale Jarrett
- 2000: Bobby Labonte
- 2001: Jeff Gordon
- 2005: Tony Stewart
- 2006: Jimmie Johnson
- 2008: Jimmie Johnson
- 2009: Jimmie Johnson
In a year that has been a throwback of sorts and making old traditions new, Hamlin continuing that trend and becoming the ninth driver on that list would be fitting.
Footnote: Toyota drivers have led 170 of the 335 laps run since the NASCAR Cup Series return to the Indianapolis oval in 2024.
