Denny Hamlin isn't sure he'd be able to advance out of the "Contender Round" in this year's Chase to the Sprint Cup, in which the field will be cut from twelve drivers to eight. But if he does, Hamlin believes he will be a favorite to win the championship.
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This year's Chase implements a new format that will see 16 drivers competing for the championship, with three rounds of eliminations to dwindle the field to four by the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Each elimination round will feature multiple races and the top drivers in wins and points will advance while the bottom four at the end of each round will be out of contention. The "Championship Round" in Miami will be a one-race winner-takes-all battle between the top four drivers.
Hamlin, who enters the Chase as the ninth seed, said that if he is able to make it to the "Eliminator Round," his chances to win will be as good as any other driver's.
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"The object for us is going to be to get to the Elite 8, or whatever it is," Hamlin told FOX Sports. "That's going to be the most important part because once we get to those, those tracks are typically where things get good for us, and we've got multiple wins, I think, at all those tracks. I think Kansas, Talladega and Charlotte (the Contender Round tracks) will be our biggest obstacle to get around."
Hamlin has previously won at all three tracks in the "Eliminator Round," which are Martinsville, Texas and Phoenix. If he is still in contention in the "Championship Round" in Miami, he will possibly be the favorite to win as he has won two of the past five races at Homestead, including last year's season finale.
"I've been begging to have that opportunity again," Hamlin said "I said just challenge me and put me in that same position again and see how it all plays out, especially going to a racetrack where we've had a lot of success. I think if you put us in the Final 4 at Homestead, how are we not a favorite at that point?"
Hamlin will also benefit from the return of crew chief Darian Grubb, who missed the last six races while serving a suspension for a rules violation found on Hamlin's car after the Brickyard 400 in July.
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