“This is his best chance ever”: NASCAR legend Richard Petty puts his weight behind Denny Hamlin for Championship run 

Denny Hamlin’s pursuit of a long-awaited NASCAR Cup Series championship just got a major endorsement from one of the sport’s greatest icons. After his emotional victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Richard Petty declared that it might finally be the veteran’s best opportunity to claim the title that has eluded him for over two decades.

Hamlin won his 60th Cup race and sixth of the 2025 season in Sunday’s South Point 400, which locked him into the Championship 4 race at Phoenix Raceway on November 2. The Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 ran from sixth to first on the final restart laps, holding off teammate Chase Briscoe and Kyle Larson to win by 1.533 seconds.

Richard Petty, speaking on the Petty Family Racing podcast alongside long-time crew chief Dale Inman, said:

“Well, right now he’s (Denny Hamlin) got the best chance because he’s automatically in to the top playoff deals. And he’s had a pretty dang good year. I mean, you win 60 races nowadays, that’s a bunch of races. So his team and him, the whole situation is probably coming (together). This is probably his best chance he’s ever had to have a chance at the championship.” (18:07 onwards)

The “King,” who himself holds a record 200 Cup wins, praised Denny Hamlin’s perseverance and the strength of his Joe Gibbs Racing team, both qualities that have defined his 2025 campaign. With the Las Vegas win, Hamlin became the first driver to secure a berth at Phoenix, giving him three full weeks to prepare.

Inman echoed Petty’s views, adding:

“The only one you could kind of compare Denny to is Denny Hamlin himself. Because when it’s time to stand up, he stands up. There’s still three that’s capable of doing that, but he does it as good or better than anybody.”

Among those three, Inman and Petty pointed to the current top contenders, Larson, Christopher Bell, and Briscoe, all of whom sit inside the top four after Las Vegas.

Larson, runner-up for the second consecutive week, matched Hamlin’s 54-point day. Bell, meanwhile, finished third for the third straight race and alongside Briscoe has placed inside the top 10 in all but one playoff race.

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Richard Petty names Denny Hamlin as his championship favorite, but with a warning

Joey Logano (22) and Denny Hamlin (11) during the 2023 Championship Race at Phoenix. Source: Imagn

While Joe Gibbs Racing has three drivers in the top four, and Hendrick Motorsports drivers are right in the mix below them, Team Penske is among the biggest losers at Las Vegas. Richard Petty isn't counting them out just yet.

When asked about his pick for the 2025 title, Petty singled out Denny Hamlin, with a caveat.

“Right now it’s going to be the 11 car because he’s the only one we know who’s going to be there,” Petty said. “But, like Dale said a while ago, if you just look at the top four in the points right now, they’re probably the ones that got a chance to go for it. But, when it comes down to running Phoenix and running the race, if a Ford makes it into the deal, then they’ll be hard to beat.” (19:11 onwards)

Team Penske’s Fords have won the last three titles, with Joey Logano winning in 2022 and 2024, and Ryan Blaney in 2023. However, entering the final two Round of 8 races, both drivers sit below the cutoff line: Logano, with 24 points, and Blaney, with 31 points, making Talladega and Martinsville near must-win events.

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Edited by Hitesh Nigam