Denny Hamlin is sure that the 2027 season will be his final year in the NASCAR Cup Series. With the clock already ticking, Hamlin witnessed another heartbreak in Kansas at the last moment.

Hamlin, who led 131 laps in Kansas, was in the lead when the late caution appeared, and Tyler Reddick at the time had no fuel. The late caution gave Reddick a chance to pit for fuel, and the 23XI driver raced to the win despite a mediocre restart.

Kyle Larson joined in along with Christopher Bell to make it a four-way fight to the checkered flag. Hamlin ended up fourth.

But this unfortunately has become a recurring theme for the 23XI co-owner. Hamlin has lost out on multiple wins when he has been dominant before late cautions and overtime caused an upset.

Since 2023, Hamlin has lost a total of six races while leading at the end, before overtime shuffled up the results. One of the most upsetting defeats was the Championship finale in Phoenix last year.

Back then, Hamlin led 208 of the stipulated 312 laps before William Byron’s tire failure. It led to overtime. Hamlin took four tires but got stuck in traffic, restarting from 11th, only managing to finish 6th and losing out on the shot at a first championship to Larson.

“Just numb about it because I’m just in shock," he shared his experience.

Daytona in 2025 saw a similar tale for Hamlin. After leading 42 laps, Hamlin was in the lead with one to go. A multi-car crash involving Cole Custer and Chris Briscoe sent the race into OT, during which Hamlin got caught up in a restart collision.

Denny Hamlin’s Kansas Curse

When it comes to Kansas, Hamlin suffered the same fate in Kansas twice, once in 2023 and once in 2024. In 2023, Hamlin led 63 laps before Erik Jones spun with two laps to go. In the OT restart, Larson in the #5 HMS Chevrolet surges past a vulnerable Hamlin, who was trapped three wide, and ended 5th.

“I fell for the same move that the #5 got me a couple of years ago when I was on the inside. I gotta learn from those mistakes I’m making and not executing those last few laps," said post-race on April 19.

Hamlin has led 290 laps in the last two Kansas races, but both opportunities for victory slipped away. But this time, he was hoping to turn things his way, as revealed in a pre-race conversation with 23XI co-owner Michael Jordan

“I told him if something weird doesn’t happen, it’s a guaranteed win…Kansas is a guaranteed win as long as nothing weird happens," he shared.

Hamlin has also bagged two wins from OT restarts, in Richmond in 2024 and Darlington in 2025, both instances where quick pit stops pushed him to the lead before the restart.

Share your thoughts on Hamlin's history with over time in races.

Read more at RFK Racing Digest.

Written by

Debrup Chaudhuri

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar