Denny Hamlin on COTA top-10: ‘It’s like a win’
AUSTIN — A 10th-place finish usually isn’t a big deal for Denny Hamlin — but it was at a track that has been as unkind to him as Circuit of the Americas has been.
After finishing no better than 14th at the track, and a track-worst 21st last year, Hamlin earned his first top-10 finish in the NASCAR Cup Series at COTA.
Hamlin’s weak spot at COTA has never been about starting, as Hamlin has started as well eighth (twice) and 11th at the track, but it was for him this year. He started 19th and had an average running position of 18th, only racking up a stage point — for finishing 19th in stage one — after everyone else pitted.
With 21 laps to go, a caution flew for Ross Chastain losing a wheel. Hamlin and crew chief Chris Gayle took a gamble and stayed out, restarting eighth with six drivers behind him who also stayed out.
On the restart, Hamlin survived the chaos of Connor Zilisch and Zane Smith spinning in front of him to run near the top-five.
As the laps wound down, Christopher Bell, Ty Gibbs, Michael McDowell, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and AJ Allmendinger all passed him but Hamlin held on to finish 10th — his first Cup top-10 finish at COTA.
“First mistake-free road course for me in six years. It’s freaking amazing. It’s like a win. I’m telling you, this is a win,” Hamlin said.
The 10th-place finish is the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series championship runner-up’s best finish of the 2026 season so far. He finished 31st in the Daytona 500 after a late-race crash and 13th at EchoPark Speedway Atlanta, also after a late-race crash.
Hamlin sits 23rd in points, eight points behind a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Chase.
Next up for him and the NASCAR Cup Series field is the site of heartbreak — Phoenix Raceway.
In the fall, Hamlin led 208 of 312 laps in the championship race and seemed destined to win before a caution came out for William Byron and sent the race into overtime. Ultimately, Hamlin finished sixth and lost the championship to Kyle Larson who didn’t lead any laps in the race.
After the race, Hamlin said he didn’t want to even think about getting back in a car. Ultimately, despite also having the unimaginable tragedy of suddenly losing his father in the off-season, Hamlin returned to the car and will now look to claim his third Cup win at Phoenix.
Discover more from The Racing Experts
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com