Denny Hamlin 2026 Report Card: The Best Grade in the Field
Welcome to the Happy Hour Racing 2026 Season Report Cards, where every full-time Cup Series driver gets a grade computed from all 36 races, not opinion. This one belongs to the number 11, and it is the top score of the year.
The Short Version
Denny Hamlin's 2026 season produced the highest report card score of all 35 full-time drivers, an A+. He had the best average finish in the Cup Series at 8.9, did not record a single DNF, and won four races, including three in a row in June. He finished 3rd in the standings, 56 points behind Kyle Larson, because he did not win in the 10-race Chase. Over all 36 races, nobody was better.
Why the Denny Hamlin 2026 Grade Is an A+
Every HHR report card grade comes from the same math. After every race, each driver gets a score out of 100 based on where they finished in the field, how many spots they gained or lost from the start, how many laps they led, and a penalty for not finishing. The season grade is the average of all 36 race scores, curved against the 35 drivers who ran the full year.
Hamlin's season score ranked 1st of 35, and it was not close. He averaged 84.8 points per race on our scale. The next best driver, Tyler Reddick, averaged 74.4. The champion, Larson, was at 68.7.
The reason is simple. Hamlin never had the bad day that wrecks a season average. His worst finish all year was 31st, in the Daytona 500, and he was still running at the end of that race. He finished all 36 races.
Denny Hamlin by the Numbers
Here is where Hamlin ranked among the 35 full-time drivers in 14 stats. The bar and the circle show his rank (1 is best). The number on the right is the actual stat.
Look at all the 1s. Hamlin ranked 1st in average finish (8.9), 1st in top 5s (16, tied with Christopher Bell), 1st in top 10s (24), 1st in lead lap finishes (34 of 36), 1st in average driver rating (99.4), 1st in average running position (10.5) and 1st in fewest DNFs. He was 2nd in wins and 2nd in laps led with 1,120.
His lowest rank on the card is 10th, in average positions gained. That is the only place he looks merely good. Nobody else in the field has a card this full.
Four Wins, Three in a Row
Hamlin's first win came at Las Vegas on March 15, even after a pit-road speeding penalty dropped him to 21st. It was the 61st Cup win of his career, which moved him past Kevin Harvick for 10th on the all-time list.
Then came the run of the year:
- Nashville Superspeedway, May 31: jumped the start from the pole, served a pass-through, fell to 38th and still won a three-wide finish over teammates Bell and Chase Briscoe.
- Michigan, June 7: started at the rear for unapproved adjustments and won by 11.110 seconds, the biggest margin of his Cup career. Win No. 63 tied Kyle Busch, who died in May, for 9th all time. Hamlin dedicated it to him.
- Pocono, June 14: a record 8th Pocono win and his first three-race win streak in Cup. Career win No. 64.
There was one that got away. At Martinsville in March he started on the pole, led 292 laps and finished 2nd to Chase Elliott after two late cautions.
Why the Grade Is Better Than the Finish
Hamlin stayed steady in the Chase, but he never won in the final 10 races. His Chase average finish was 10.7, compared with 8.2 in the first 26.
The worst of it came at Phoenix on Oct. 18. RACER reported a right-rear tire went down while he was racing for 3rd, then a speeding penalty left him a lap down. He finished 28th, ending a streak of 31 straight lead-lap finishes. He still gained ground that day because Larson finished 34th.
At Homestead he won Stage 2 and led 87 laps, but Larson had already clinched after Stage 1. Hamlin finished 6th. The report card weighs all 36 races the same. The championship format rewards the last 10. That gap is why the best grade went to the driver who finished 3rd.
What 2027 Looks Like
Hamlin is back in the number 11 for 2027 with Progressive as primary sponsor for 24 races, including the Daytona 500, per Jayski. He has said he has no plans to race beyond 2027, though he has not formally announced a retirement. Chris Gayle was his crew chief for all 36 races in 2026. Track every move on our 2027 silly season tracker.
The 2027 Daytona 500 is Feb. 21. Start times and channels for every race are on our race TV guide, and every other driver's grade is on the 2026 report cards page.
The Bottom Line
No DNFs, the best average finish in the sport and four wins. Hamlin did not win the title, but over a full season he was the best driver in NASCAR, and if 2027 is his last year, he is going out at the top of his game.
Denny Hamlin 2026 Win Gear
- Denny Hamlin 2026 Vegas 61st Cup Win T-Shirt
- Denny Hamlin 2026 Nashville Win T-Shirt
- Denny Hamlin 2026 Michigan Win T-Shirt
- Denny Hamlin No. 11 Signature Keychain
Sources: NASCAR official race results and loop data for all 36 2026 points races; win details via News From the Pits, NBC Sports, FOX Sports and RACER; Phoenix details via RACER; 2027 plans via Jayski; final standings via NBC Sports.
