Denny Hamlin Still Processing Phoenix Heartbreak, Desire To Race in 2026 | NASCAR News Reaction

Denny Hamlin’s heartbreak at Phoenix might linger longer than anyone expected. After another devastating championship loss, the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran admitted he can’t even picture himself back behind the wheel right now. His emotions are raw, his words are heavy, and the NASCAR world can’t help but wonder — is this how it ends for Denny Hamlin?

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• Hamlin says he “can’t even imagine driving a race car” right now, calling Sunday’s loss the toughest defeat of his career
• He wouldn’t fully commit to 2026, even with two years left on his Joe Gibbs Racing deal — sounding eerily similar to Carl Edwards in 2016
• Meanwhile, Connor Zilisch’s Xfinity heartbreak cost him a WEC hypercar test — a bizarre side effect of NASCAR’s one-race championship
• Kyle Larson, the new Cup champ, openly questioned the playoff system himself, saying it “doesn’t feel right” even as he hoisted the trophy

If Hamlin does come back, will we still see the same fierce, obsessive competitor who’s fought for nearly two decades to capture that elusive title? Or did Phoenix finally take more out of him than anyone realizes? One thing’s for sure — this offseason just got a lot more interesting.

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