NASCAR's awards ceremony bringing special dread for Hamlin: 'It's painful'

Denny Hamlin says he’s doing as well as one would expect two days after losing the NASCAR Cup Series championship at Phoenix Raceway.

“There is not a whole lot of second-guessing, I would say,” Hamlin said. “From my standpoint, there is not much else you can do about it. So, there really has not been much post-processing of what you could do differently because I felt like I did exactly what the format asked me to, and it still wasn’t right.”

Hamlin met with the media on Tuesday morning to complete his obligations for the season before the awards ceremony takes place in Scottsdale, Arizona. They marked his first comments since the season finale, where he led 208 laps but ultimately finished sixth in the race and second in the championship after a late-race caution set up overtime and different tire strategies.

Kyle Larson took control of the championship race when his team chose two tires on the final pit stop. Hamlin took four. The two drivers lined up two rows apart from each other, but whereas Larson was able to gain positions, Hamlin didn’t make up enough ground in the final two laps.

The strategy of four tires not beating two tires was the result of a few factors in Hamlin’s mind. Unlike on Friday night, when Corey Heim took four tires and quickly drove through the field in the final laps to win the Truck championship, Hamlin said the Cup Series race was different competition, different cars, and there were other drivers (some who stayed out, some on other tire strategies) mixed into the running order with him and Larson.

“So, circumstances, talent level, and cars are the only things that were different,” Hamlin said. “But obviously the result is a ton different.”

Joe Gibbs Racing did everything it needed to do to give Hamlin the opportunity to win the championship. Hamlin wants the takeaway for the organization to be that it prepared a fast race car and gave him all the tools to compete at the highest level. 

It was the second championship win for Larson. Hamlin, who has now completed 20 full seasons as a Cup Series driver, remains without the sport’s biggest prize.

Tuesday’s festivities will be agonizing for Hamlin. He did make a visit to Larson’s championship party on Sunday night to show respect for his friend and rival, but spending a short time there is very different to having to attend the awards banquet.

“You can say we’re the only sport that ‘blank’ lots of things, but having to make the losers sit there and celebrate the winners is just one of those extra things that we have to do in our sport,” Hamlin said. “It’s painful.”

The emotions and pain that Hamlin has felt since Sunday night do not compare to anything he’s felt before. Not losing the championship to Jimmie Johnson in 2010. Or other Championship 4 defeats in the current elimination format.

“No,” he said. “No way. Not close.”

And it’s why Hamlin is not going to back away from the emotions he’s feeling, or tell himself to get over it quickly. Hamlin said he will sit with them as long as it takes to fade away.

“Where I feel like I’ve gotten better with age is being able to move on to the next thing,” Hamlin said. “But I can’t imagine having to go through the process that I went through to prepare for that race, doing it all over. I don’t see how there is any way.”

But will he race in 2026? Hamlin made a startling comment Sunday night about not being able to think about driving a race car again, which led to some speculation he was going to abruptly retire like former Joe Gibbs Racing driver Carl Edwards.

Hamlin acknowledged that he plans to race next season and has a contract.

“But at this point, there is absolutely no way that I can even think about a race car right now,” Hamlin said. “I’m going to need some time on this one.”