Conspiracies are nothing new
I’m old enough to remember past driver dominance, often on a scale much larger than what Hamlin is doing. In my early years following NASCAR, Jeff Gordon’s dominance was downright unbearable as a fan. While I still enjoyed the sport every week and traveled to many races, I entered each week almost assuming that Gordon and that rocketship 24 car from Hendrick Motorsports were going to take the checkered flag. And much to my chagrin, most of the time they did win.
Fans like myself were convinced that Gordon was cheating, and there were multiple accusations thrown at Gordon and team, but the reality back then was just as it is now — Gordon’s team (specifically Ray Evernham) took advantage of gray areas in the rulebook and found something other teams had missed, and the others didn’t catch up for many years. The stunning number of wins Gordon earned (47 in a five-year span, 1995 to 1999) seems unnatural, but the combination of a winning car and a young talent like Gordon was enough to blow away the competition and get him three championships in that window.
Fast-forward to today, and you have a similar situation. Denny’s team (and the Toyota camp in general) have found a way to get ahead of the competition. And with the rigid rules of the Next Gen car, that’s almost more impressive than what Evernham and crew were able to do in the 1990s when things were more wide open in terms of adjustments allowed.
Those who would claim favoritism to Toyota and Hamlin are also somewhat illogical. After NASCAR’s embarrassing defeat in the lawsuit filed by Hamlin and Michael Jordan last year, why on Earth would the sport’s leadership be supporting a championship bid for Hamlin? Not only is it nearly impossible to do, it’s not even something they would want.
Championship path is there for Hamlin
In 2025, the final year of the Final Four one-race playoff format, Hamlin suffered a brutal blow when he lost the title to Kyle Larson on a late-race pit strategy call. Many thought at the time that his chances to be a Cup champion were now done.
But alas, Hamlin has flipped that script and came back stronger than ever in 2026. He’s on a path for one of his best ever career years, and is probably the most excited of all drivers that we’ve ended the setup where the final race decides the champion.
Currently on a path to pass his 23XI driver Tyler Reddick and win the regular-season championship, and a steady competitor for the win at every type of track, the stars seem to be aligned for Hamlin to continue his strong run in the 10 races of the Chase and take his first career championship.
It’s arguable that without the implementation of the playoffs, Hamlin would have already taken home several championships, but you can’t hypothesize about the past. You can, however, look forward, and my crystal ball says that unless the Ford and Chevy camps start to step up their efforts, the title will be decided between Hamlin and Reddick, and more than likely it will be Hamlin taking home the trophy.
After the emotional year Hamlin has had with losing his father tragically in the off-season, and all the drama of the off-season lawsuit, it would be a huge weight off his shoulders — and rightfully earned.
Because no matter how much the anti-Toyota camp wants to cry foul and claim NASCAR is playing favorites, that’s simply not a possibility in today’s racing world, as there would be far too many factors to manipulate to make it happen.
Not everyone will cheer a Hamiln title if it happens, but they should at the very least respect its authenticity, because the way he is dominating in a car that’s supposed to create more parity — including coming from the back of the pack for several victories — is something to be appreciated, not hated.
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