“Needs to improve his finishing,” Richard Petty gives Denny Hamlin candid advice on how to win the elusive Cup title

Richard Petty, “The King,” recently offered sage advice to Denny Hamlin, who’s been eyeing his first-ever NASCAR Cup title in the 2023 season. With three victories this season, Hamlin boldly proclaimed that his championship drought would end with this season. However, Petty’s insight, citing the need for improved race finishes, sheds light on the JGR driver’s quest.

With consistent high-point earnings throughout the season, Hamlin carried the hope of realizing his championship dream. Following his win in Bristol, Hamlin seemed poised for a championship run, boldly declaring, “It’s our year.” However, after a strong playoff performance, the No:11 driver’s fortunes reversed at Miami last week, endangering his championship aspirations.

In response to a question from a Facebook user about what areas Denny Hamlin should focus on to secure a championship, Richard Petty suggested that he should concentrate on improving his race finishes.

He needs to improve his finishing in order for him to win the championship.

Petty observed that in recent races, Hamlin had a dominant car but faced unlucky race endings. At Miami’s turn 1, the No:11 driver went straight into the hard wall, breaking his suspension. He was 10 points above the cut line, but the crash resulted in retirement and hurt his championship chances. Some questioned his skill despite the mechanical failure. However, Richard refused to believe that.

He's not the kind of driver who's going to lose a car like that.

Dale Inman believes that most of Denny Hamlin’s retirements were self-inflicted 

Hamlin has had one of the strongest seasons of his career this year. He has been consistently outperforming his car and managed to nab maximum points to still stay in the title hunt. However, following his retirement due to mechanical failure at the Homestead-Miami, he has fallen 17 points below the cut line. His retirements this season have undoubtedly cost him dearly.

Acknowledging this, Dale Inman, the legendary crew chief, contends that Hamlin’s car’s performance has been subpar. Yet, he believes his consistent point-scoring throughout the year has kept him in the title hunt

Some of the times he's been self-inflicted, but he's been good enough to overcome some of them

The 2023 NASCAR championship remains an open road filled with promises and peril for Denny Hamlin. Richard Petty’s counsel on improving race finishes will definitely be a valuable consideration for the JGR driver. With the Martinsville Playoffs race looming, Hamlin confronts the formidable challenge of securing a strong finish to secure a spot in the Phoenix championship race.

In case you missed it:

• Christopher Bell insists he isn’t this generation’s ‘The Closer’ and admits he is a ‘far stretch’ Kevin Harvick
• “Hit the wall like a mother f*****,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. goes on a radio rant during the Homestead Miami Xfinity race

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