(Video) “Could win at any of them!” Kyle Larson names Denny Hamlin as driver to beat in championship chase

Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson boldly proclaimed veteran Denny Hamlin as his biggest rival in the 2024 championship tussle.

(Video) “Could win at any of them!” Kyle Larson names Denny Hamlin as driver to beat in championship chase

Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson (Via IMAGO)

At the start of the 2024 season, the narrative around the Cup series was it will be the battle between Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin and Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson. Though the TRD veteran’s performance has dropped while Ryan Blaney and Christopher Bell established themselves as championship favorites, he is still viewed as a strong contender.

For Kyle Larson, who has been the most consistent racer this year, Denny Hamlin is still the driver to beat in the championship chase. He admitted that the No:11 team becomes a bigger threat in the coming last four races of the season, as he has always been a contender in these venues. Larson also name-dropped Willaim Byron and Ryan Blaney as contenders as well.

When you look at the next four tracks, you know, Denny could win at any of them. I still view Denny as probably being the guy that has the speed that we do. William too, he’s just sneaky good. I mean, Blaney, for sure.

Kyle Larson told NASCAR.

But that doesn’t stop him from admitting the fact that Hamlin has been his biggest rival the whole season, with him always being the consistently fast racer alongside him. It seems the Chevy champion is expecting the toughest fight from Denny Hamlin.

FS Video

You can make a case for anybody in the final eight. But yeah, I would say Denny. Kind of all season, him and I have been the two consistently fastest teams. If I would pick one guy, I would say him.

Kyle Larson added.

Jeff Burton reminds Denny Hamlin about his championship-less streak

Denny Hamlin is arguably the best driver in the history of the sport to never win the Cup championship and it isn’t unfair to say many Cup champions are not on the same level as the JGR veteran. But still it pains to not have the championship according to Jeff Burton, who recalled his own experience of not winning one, while talking about the FedEx sponsored racer.

Jeff Burton
Jeff Burton (Via IMAGO)

As good as he is, as many good things as he’s done, that’s the thing that’s left. He says the right things; he says it’s not going to define his career, but I can tell you, as a guy that didn’t win a championship, it’s damn hard to get over it.

Jeff Burton said.

The comments from the racing legend fully explains the potential pain, Hamlin going to endure if he ends his career without winning the championship. He has the best shot at ending the pain in 2024 and it will be interesting to see if Hamlin can rise up to the occasion as Larson fears.