SerpApi.Org
Aside from a NASCAR Cup Series championship, Denny Hamlin has won everything there is to win in NASCAR.
Everything, that is, except the Brickyard 400.
Run at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1994, the Brickyard 400 is the one crown jewel race Hamlin is yet to win. He's won the Daytona 500 and the Southern 500 thrice and added the Coca-Cola 600 to his resume in 2022.
That's not to say that he hasn't been close to winning at Indianapolis. He finished third in the race just last year and was leading it with seven laps to go in 2020 when he blew a tire and hit the wall.
Why Denny Hamlin can win 2026 Brickyard 400
There's a reason to believe Hamlin can finally win the Brickyard 400 this year in what could very well be one of his final two chances to win the fabled race if he keeps his word and retires at the end of 2027.
Prior to his third-place run in the 2025 running, Hamlin led 21 laps in 2024 after qualifying second. He crashed out late but once again had showed winning speed.
Winning speed has been with Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing and Hamlin's No. 11 team since the start of 2026. He's second in the series this season in wins with four, having won three in a row at Nashville, Michigan and Pocono earlier this summer.
While Chevy and Ford have started to catch up to Toyota in terms of raw speed, Toyota is still likely to be the fastest manufacturer at IMS this weekend. Hamlin could very well unload for Friday's practice session as the fastest JGR Toyota.
If he qualifies as well as he has on traditional ovals as of late, Hamlin could start the race inside the top five at a venue where track position is paramount. From there, it's a matter of execution, which the No. 11 team has been fantastic at over the summer.
Hamlin still has at least one more shot at a Brickyard 400 win waiting after Sunday. But it'd be somewhat poetic if, in a year that is shaping up to potentially be a championship season, he finally earned the final jewel in his crown.
Want more articles like this? Follow Yardbarker on MSN to see more of our exclusive NASCAR content.
More must-reads:
