Denny Hamlin secured the top seed in the NASCAR Chase after a seventh‑place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, vaulting him into the championship conversation with a 25‑point cushion over his nearest rival.
The No. 11 Toyota, fielded by Joe Gibbs Racing, has been one of the season’s most consistent machines, collecting four victories at Las Vegas, Nashville Superspeedway, Michigan International Speedway and Pocono Raceway.
While the Toyota shines on high‑speed, downforce‑dependent ovals, Hamlin acknowledges that Team Penske holds an edge on the shorter, tighter circuits such as Bristol, Phoenix and Martinsville where their aerodynamic package has historically been superior.
The Uncertainty at Daytona
Adding another layer of unpredictability, NASCAR will debut new aerodynamic and horsepower regulations at Daytona International Speedway for the upcoming 400‑mile race, and crucially, there will be no practice sessions to fine‑tune the cars before the event.
Team Penske president Michael Nelson has said the organization must improve its performance on those larger Chase tracks, having already invested effort into refining their setup in recent races.
The battle for the final two Chase spots is shaping up to be a tight contest among Austin Cindric, Shane van Gisbergen and Ryan Preece, while Josh Berry continues a streak of seven consecutive top‑10 finishes, the longest such run since 1994.
With ten races remaining, including the season‑ending showdown at Homestead‑Miami Speedway, six of the upcoming venues will be at least 1.366 miles in length, ensuring that speed and endurance will play a decisive role in the final standings.