Hamlin set for yet another attempt at NASCAR Indy crown

Denny Hamlin is the most desperate man in Indianapolis.

Hamlin acknowledges as much. There is a field of 39 drivers who will take the green flag, and an even shorter list of those capable of winning the Brickyard 400. But there is a simple reason why the Joe Gibbs Racing driver stands above the rest.

“I’ve got a couple of shots at this left,” Hamlin said.

The 45-year-old is set to retire after the 2027 season, which makes Sunday his second-to-last chance to win at Indianapolis. It is the only crown jewel race that Hamlin has not won, and he’s been a Cup Series driver for 20 years. Of course, there were three years taken away from him when NASCAR moved the event from the oval to the road course (2021-2023).

On the oval, where Hamlin has 17 previous starts, his average finish is 13.9 with six top-five finishes. But the statistics can be deceiving, as Hamlin has come close in the past and experienced crushing moments where it slipped from his grasp.

“I’m certainly willing to take a few more risks here, whether it be on restarts or whatever it might be,” Hamlin said. “If it’s a strategy, something to give us a shot to win. Simply because this is like the Daytona 500. I really don’t see this as a race where I count points. I count, like, did you win or did you not?

“For me, I think that’s the most important thing.”

Hamlin qualified fifth for his latest Indianapolis attempt.

“Hopefully we have all the pieces in place to do that, but there’s only so many risks you can take,” he said. “If you’re 10 laps short on fuel, that’s a stupid risk. You’re not going to make it, right? But if you’re a couple, then are you willing to make that risk?

“I think that my team knows what I want them to do this weekend.”

Although 0-for-17 at Indianapolis in his career, Hamlin has three wins in the Daytona 500, three in the Southern 500, and one in the Coca-Cola 600.