Denny Hamlin hoping for Richmond repeat as NASCAR's stretch run begins

As the NASCAR Cup Series returns to action on Sunday, Denny Hamlin is hoping that his home track in Richmond, Va., is once more a gracious host.

Hamlin is a five-time winner at the 0.75-mile short track and grabbed his second win of the 2024 season at Richmond earlier this year. With all three of Hamlin's victories on the year coming at tracks a mile in length or less, it's no surprise that he enters Sunday's Cook Out 400 as one of the favorites to win.

A win for Hamlin would tie him with points leader Kyle Larson for the most in the series, but it could also gain him pivotal ground in the battle for the regular-season championship. A summer slump has seen Hamlin go from the points leader in early June to fourth in points two months later. With four regular-season races remaining, Hamlin now trails Larson by 43 points for the lead.

With crucial playoff points on the line for every position Hamlin can gain over the next four races, putting together four consistent runs in a row — something Hamlin proved he can do when he finished five consecutive races inside the top five — will be the key to Hamlin gaining on the drivers in front of him.

Regardless of his final regular-season standing, Hamlin's three victories have all but guaranteed him a top-five seed in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, but a win on Sunday would grant him five more playoff points.

There's more on the line for Hamlin in Sunday's race than initially meets the eye. Gaining playoff points, tying the series leader in wins, winning at your home track and sweeping the races at one track all have significant meaning to any driver in the series. But for Hamlin, a Richmond sweep would once again have the pundits deeming him a championship favorite.