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Denny Hamlin currently sits atop the Chase standings. With five races to go before the postseason, Hamlin has made his prediction for what the field will look like when The Chase begins.
Each week, Hamlin has waited for Ross Chastain to move into position to make The Chase. He’s no longer waiting with the Trackhouse driver sitting in 21st position and 83 points below the cutline.
“By the way, I’m officially off the Ross Chastain [bandwagon to make The Chase],” said Hamlin on Actions Detrimental. “I just keep thinking that there’s enough there, but there’s just not enough there. Not enough time, not enough car, just not gonna make it.”
What about McDowell or Keselowski?
Michael McDowell and Brad Keselowski sit in 19th and 20th positions currently, with the Top 16 making the field. McDowell is 83 points below the cutline. Keselowski is 58 points below.
“McDowell, no. That’s been one of the underperforming teams that I’ve been disappointed with this year. They’ve been okay, but it just seems like they should be better than where they’re at right now.
“So, McDowell, I’m gonna say, no.”
“Keselowski is how far back? Yeah, 58 back. Keselowski, I’ll say no.”
‘Cindric is just Cindric-ing’
With five races remaining and Hamlin ruling out the drivers in positions 19-21, the question posed to the JGR star was whether the 16-driver field is already set. The drivers at 17th and 18th positions are Erik Jones and Ryan Preece, respectively.
Jones sits 33 points below the cutline. Preece is 48 points below. Sitting on the cutline is Austin Cindric.
“With the tracks that are left, I’m gonna say the field is the field,” Hamlin said. “And that’s just off of performance.
“If someone goes and blows a motor, wrecks, that changes everything, and that will happen. I just think these guys are separating themselves.
“Cindric is just Cindric-ing, and these guys can’t catch him. He’s putting himself in the teens most weeks, and that’s good enough. He’s getting what his car is giving him.”
The Chase begins on September 6 with Darlington kicking off a 10-race road to the Championship ending at Homestead on November 8.
