Heading into the finale at Phoenix Raceway, Denny Hamlin holds one of the best shots of his career at capturing the elusive NASCAR Cup Series championship. After securing his place in the Championship 4 with a key win at Las Vegas, Hamlin arrives in Phoenix as a serious contender and a favorite, not just another hopeful.

But his story hasn’t been simple. Multiple times he’s made the final round, yet each year something out of his control, a mechanical failure, a poor pit stop, an unlucky break, has kept him from lifting the trophy. With the kind of mechanical issues he’s been facing in the past two races at Talladega and Martinsville, could this year still keep him away from the title?

Going by his words, by locking himself into the finale early, he says he’s “smarter” and “better prepar

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