Denny Hamlin has again criticized NASCAR‘s playoff system and the “luck” involved with being crowned champion after “Chief Hype Officer” Dylan ‘Mamba’ Smith said the playoffs aren’t necessarily designed to crown the best driver all season, but the best driver-team that executes under pressure.

Hamlin, who drives for Joe Gibbs Racing and has won four Cup Series races so far this season heading into Daytona this weekend, has yet to win a championship in NASCAR’s premium racing series despite racking up 58 victories.

The 44-year-old regularly criticizes NASCAR’s playoff system, which is designed to give fans an unpredictable finish in a Championship 4 race rather than a winner being crowned several weekends before the season finale. Such a system saw Joey Logano be crowned Cup Series winner last year despite averaging the lowest finish for a champion in NASCAR history.

It’s also a system that has contributed to Hamlin’s lack of success in the championship department. To make his point, Hamlin pointed out that Truck Series phenom Corey Heim could win ten races in 2025 and still not be crowned champion despite being the most dominant driver in the field.

Like every other driver, Heim could dominate, but see their title hopes go up in smoke two races from the finale due to a flat tire. “We have luck involved in our sport more so than any other sport,” Hamlin said on his ‘Actions Detrimental’ podcast. “So that argument doesn’t hold up at all.”

“I’ve seen that this whole when the ‘lights are bright, the pressure’ like that seems like it’s a company talking point that PR is pushing to, ‘This is what we’re going to say when it comes to crowning a champion,'” he continued. “But realistically I think the fan base is kind of had enough of it. They understand it a little better.”

Sign up to our NASCAR newsletter here.

There’s just one more guaranteed Cup playoff spot up for grabs at Daytona in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 this weekend.

At the moment, Tyler Reddick and Alex Bowman will occupy the last two of 16 playoff spots should a new victor not take the chequered flag thanks to their championship points.

Hamlin says Daytona is as even of a playing field as anywhere, and a new driver could severely shake up the playoff picture.

DON’T MISS

“When we’re talking about the format in general, nothing against Cody Ware, but he has no top fives. I don’t know if he has any top 10s this year, but Cody Ware could eliminate Alex Bowman or Tyler Reddick from the Playoffs,” said Hamlin.

“So everything that Tyler Reddick and Alex Bowman did for the first 25 races can be eliminated by what happens on a green-white-chequered on the 26th race by someone in the mid-30s in points.

“Could you imagine? And we’re supposed to just be, ‘Cool – that sounds fair.’ The fanbase is over it.”