Editor’s note: this continue the series in which we review every driver in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs in reverse order of championship finish.
Summary of the season: Denny Hamlin, No. 11, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Team leader: Chris Gabehart
Final ranking 2024: 8th
Key stats: Three wins, 12 top 5s, 18 top 10s, three poles, 943 laps led
How 2024 ended: With Martinsville Speedway being one of Hamlin’s best tracks, it seemed like a Championship 4 spot was almost guaranteed. However, a crash during practice sent Hamlin to the rear at the start of the penultimate race of the year. He rallied to secure a fifth-place finish, but didn’t have the points needed to surpass William Byron for the final ticket to Phoenix as Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick and Ryan Blaney all managed to win in the round of 16 under the elimination line. Hamlin would have been well positioned to qualify for Championship 4 without a huge L2 level penalty in August, it cost the No. 11 team 75 driver and owner points, including 10 playoff points.
RELATED: Hamlin through the years | Hamlin takes victory after wild race at Bristol
Best race: Arguably the most impressive performance of 2024, Hamlin overcame an event marked by extreme tire wear at Bristol Motor Speedway to earn his first of three victories over the course of last season. The No. 11 driver led 163 of the 500 laps, while all but five drivers took the checkered flag a lap behind. In total, there were 54 lead changes until Hamlin took command in the final 50 laps and held off teammate Martin Truex Jr. to earn his fourth victory on the concrete short track.
Other highlights of the season: Hamlin quickly followed his victory at Bristol with a victory at Richmond Raceway just two weeks later. In April, he held off Kyle Larson in the closing laps to win at Dover Motor Speedway, giving Hamlin three checkered flags in the first 11 races.
Stat to know: Between Sonoma Raceway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Hamlin suffered the worst streak of seven races of his career since 2013, with an average rating of 23.1, according to Racing Insights.
Quotable: “The first few days were a shock, but I’m moving on,” Hamlin said. “There’s nothing I can do to change what happened, and JGR is doing what he feels is best for him, and I completely understand that. And if our whole program improves, car 11 will perform better too, right? And I think all of us, all the teams, knew we had to get better results than we had at the end of the year. They feel like this is the change they need to (make) to achieve this and that Team 11 will benefit from these changes. — Hamlin on Gabehart’s move to competition director at Joe Gibbs Racing
MORE: JGR names Gabehart competition director for 2025 | Hamlin ‘shocked’ Gabehart won’t be No. 11 crew chief in 2025
Looking to the future: At 44 years old, this window for Hamlin is getting closer to an end, but for now, he shows no signs of slowing down and will be a title contender for next season. A championship is all that eludes Hamlin’s illustrious Cup career, and now he’ll have to do it with Chris Gayle atop the podium for the No. 11 Toyota team.
