Full Breakdown
Denny Hamlin Secures Top Seed for NASCAR Chase as Three Spots Remain Open
8/25/2026, 4:06:47 AM
The Final Regular-Season Race and Hamlin’s Seeding
A seventh-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway allowed Denny Hamlin to clinch the No. 1 seed for the 10-race NASCAR Cup Series Chase. The result gave Hamlin a 25-point advantage over second-place Ryan Blaney and secured the regular-season championship for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Points Landscape After New Hampshire
The latest points standings show:
- Denny Hamlin – 1,001 points (top seed)
- Ryan Blaney – 924 points (second seed)
- Ty Gibbs – 880 points
- Tyler Reddick – 860 points
- Christopher Bell – 738 points
Thirteen drivers have already locked in Chase berths, including Hamlin, Blaney, Gibbs, Reddick, Bell, Chase Briscoe, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Chris Buescher, Carson Hocevar, William Byron and Daniel Suarez. The three remaining spots are contested by Bubba Wallace (75 points ahead of the cut line), Austin Cindric (44 points ahead) and Shane van Gisbergen (31 points ahead). Ryan Preece trails the cut line by 31 points, while Brad Keselowski remains 66 points back. Ross Chastain and Erik Jones were eliminated after mechanical failures and poor finishes.
Team and Driver Perspectives
Christopher Bell, a teammate of Hamlin, highlighted the importance of pit-road performance, describing a safety-violation incident that dropped him to 31st and stressing gratitude for his crew’s work.
Ryan Blaney, after winning at New Hampshire, explained his habit of venting on the radio as a “relief valve” to move past mistakes quickly, a mindset he believes helps maintain focus during long runs.
Track-Specific Strengths and Weaknesses
Hamlin acknowledged that his Toyota excels on high-speed, down-force-dependent tracks, while Team Penske’s cars have an edge on shorter circuits such as Bristol, Phoenix and Martinsville.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We’re just not as strong as the Penske cars on these types of racetracks,” — Miami Speedway. Hamlin
- “I don’t think any of us know what to expect,” — Gisbergenand Ryan Preece
- “Whenever I say those things after something bad happens, it’s my relief valve,” — Second-ranked Ryan Blaney
- “It’s really competitive on pit road, and if you’re going to have any speed, you’re going to have these sort of miscues,” — Jonathan Hassler, crew chief
- “I saw him kind of flopping around in my rearview camera,” — Christopher Bell
What’s Next
The regular season will conclude with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, scheduled for August 29. The 160-lap, 2.5-mile race will determine the final 16-driver field for the Chase and set the seeding order for the championship run.
