Denny Hamlin predicts big factor in Cup Series championship run

Denny Hamlin has noted some of the biggest factors standing between him and a first ever Cup Series championship.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is arguably the best driver to never win a title in the series, with only a limited number of opportunities left for the 45-year-old.

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Hamlin admitted that mistakes will be a 'big factor' in the race for the title, whether from himself or one of the 15 other drivers he's now locked in battle with between now and the championship race in November.

"For 20 years I've tried to give an explanation for why one year is different to another, but truthfully they're not different," he told Fox's Bob Pockrass. "I'm running as hard as I've ever run, we're winning as many races as anyone in the series, it's just a matter of if the things we can't control keep us from competing or not.

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Hamlin: We can go all the way

"Mistakes will be a big factor, do I make any mistakes? It's all yet to be seen. It's about whether you can execute, and if we execute at the left-turn tracks we're fast enough to go all the way."

Hamlin was also quizzed on how the Next Gen car has changed the complexion of the playoffs since its introduction, with fewer drivers finding themselves able to fully dominate a season now.

"Everything's just a little bit closer," he said. "Track position means a little bit more, qualifying means a little bit more. Playoff points are spread out amongst the field slightly more than in the past, so I think if anything you're looking at the bottom four guys right now chomping at the bit, knowing they're only 20-some points out of the point lead.

"I think that it's wide open from that stance, where you can have someone very unexpected make it to the Final 4."

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