Denny Hamlin Earns First Top-Five Finish of 2026 NASCAR Season

Hamlin overcomes early pit stop issues to finish fifth at Phoenix Raceway

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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Denny Hamlin recorded his first top-five finish of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season on Sunday, placing fifth at the Straight Talk Wireless 500 in Phoenix. Despite a slow pit stop midway through the race, Hamlin was able to recover and challenge the leaders late, though he was ultimately unable to catch race winner Ryan Blaney.

Why it matters

Hamlin has struggled to start the 2026 season, entering the Phoenix race 23rd in the points standings. This top-five finish represents an important step forward for the veteran driver as he looks to work his way back into championship contention following a difficult offseason.

The details

Hamlin said his No. 11 Bob's Furniture Camry was a "fringe top three to four car all day," but he was unable to match the pace of the dominant cars driven by Ryan Blaney and Christopher Bell. Hamlin made a late charge in the final 10 laps but was unable to catch the leaders due to traffic in front of him.

  • Hamlin finished 31st in the season-opening Daytona 500.
  • Hamlin finished 13th at Atlanta and 10th at COTA in the two races prior to Phoenix.

The players

Denny Hamlin

A veteran NASCAR Cup Series driver who is seeking his 61st career victory.

Ryan Blaney

The winner of the Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Raceway.

Christopher Bell

Another top driver who Hamlin said was "obviously standout" at Phoenix.

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What they’re saying

“Yeah just fringe top three to four car all day, that's kind of all we had. The 20 (of Christopher Bell) and the 12 (of Blaney) were obviously standouts there. But yeah, great job by our Bob's Furniture Camry. Just need to be a little better. There's not much else you can say.”

— Denny Hamlin, NASCAR Driver (on3.com)

What’s next

Hamlin will look to build on this top-five finish as he continues to work his way up the points standings in the coming weeks.

The takeaway

Hamlin's fifth-place result at Phoenix represents an important step forward for the veteran driver as he looks to recover from a difficult start to the 2026 NASCAR season and work his way back into championship contention.