Denny Hamlin Warns Entire NASCAR Grid in 7-Words Amidst Publicly Conceding Inferiority to Kyle Larson

Denny Hamlin came through just when it mattered the most. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver was in a precarious position going into the final Round of 16 playoff race at Bristol Motor Speedway, after a string of disappointing results at Atlanta and Watkins Glen. However, the racing veteran proved exactly why he remains a genuine title contender by finishing fourth at the 2024 Bass Pro Shops Night Race. It was Hamlin's best result since finishing runner-up at Pocono Raceway and will go to Kansas Speedway with renewed optimism.

Having won back-to-back races at the 0.533-mile concrete oval, Denny Hamlin was always confident about his chances of going into the race at Bristol. He finished eighth in qualifying and only improved from that point onwards. Hamlin was in sixth place by the end of Stage 1 and third by Stage 2 but was forced to drop down to fourth by the end of Stage 3, a position he maintained until the end of the race. While it may not have been the result he wanted, Hamlin did the job of progressing into the Round of 12 and is looking to build on his result in the last seven races of the Cup Series season.

Speaking after the race, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver issued a warning to his rivals by saying, "It's all offense from this point forward. We're going to Kansas, a track we have been really really good at. I'm really looking forward to the rest of the run." However, Hamlin also acknowledged that he fell short at Bristol, struggling to match up to Kyle Larson 's pace during the race. The Florida native said, "My aspiration was to win it. It looked like the #5 was better than all of us."