NASCAR drivers in favor of return to Chase format, saying it will yield a more legitimate champion‎

Denny Hamlin has never won a Cup Series championship. Hamlin enters NASCAR's modified 10-race playoff format known as “The Chase” with a 25-point cushion over second-place Ryan Blaney and an even bigger advantage over the rest of the 16-driver field after finishing the regular season with the most driver points. Hamlin, speaking at Wednesday's playoff media day in Charlotte, called it a “giant leap forward in crowning a champion."