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Denny Hamlin makes request of NASCAR Cup field for Phoenix after needless cautions at Martinsville

Meby: Nick Geddes12 hours agoNickGeddesNews
Denny Hamlin
Greg Atkins-Imagn Images

While yes, only four drivers will be competing for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series championship this Sunday at Phoenix Raceway, that doesn’t mean all the other teams stay home for the weekend. And for those drivers who find themselves not racing for anything meaningful late in the race, Denny Hamlin has a message he wants to get across to them.

Simply put, bring it to the finish line. There’s no need to “bring out a caution for no particular reason,” he said on Monday’s “Actions Detrimental” podcast.

“Once you get inside 30, 50 laps to go and you’re like 20th or worse, by the way this weekend, do me a favor and please don’t bring out a caution for no particular reason. Like, let’s just get it to the finish, fellas. You gotta see the finish line,” Hamlin said. “You wanna let these things play our naturally but sometimes, a caution does come out late and that is what’s natural.”

Denny Hamlin shares message for fellow competitors at Phoenix

That’s often a big factor in these championship races. Four drivers are racing for a championship, but the other 30 plus drivers are on the racetrack, too. It’s racing and stuff can happen at any time. Yes, a late caution can be the difference in determining which driver takes home the championship, just ask Carl Edwards (or don’t).

Hamlin would hate to see something like that stop him from winning his first Cup championship. He absolutely does not want to see a scenario play out like what we saw this past Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, when Carson Hocevar brought out the final caution late in Stage 3.

“You’re willing to risk being in the headline being responsible for the final caution when it’s your manufacturer leading and your associate cars that you have a tight alliance with and you’re back there playing grabass for 20th something? No way,” Hamlin said. “I’m just saying down and distance, at some point you have to realize, OK, at Spire, you have an affiliation with Hendrick, and you surely know the 24 [William Byron] is winning the race and you’re back there wrecking each other?”