“This is probably his best chance he’s ever had to have a chance at the championship.” Richard Petty said these words last month after a tear-jerker Cup Series race. Denny Hamlin won his 60th career trophy at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a proud moment for his ailing father and a big milestone in his two-decade career. So fans and peers alike, including the legendary 200-time Cup race winner Petty, were rooting for Hamlin with all their hearts at Phoenix Raceway.

However, that final boss seemed impossible to defeat. Despite Denny Hamlin’s clear domination of the NASCAR Cup Series championship race, Lady Luck still got in his way. Some fans pointed to a specific pit road decision as the cause, but Richard Petty does not accept that.

Richard Petty green-lights last-lap call

For Denny Hamlin

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