Denny Hamlin is "more desperate" for a Brickyard 400 win than before. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver admitted that Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one of the biggest missing pieces in his career, and he said he was ready to take more risks to finally get a win at the historic track.

Hamlin, who has celebrated in the victory lane there as a team owner when 23XI Racing's Bubba Wallace won on the Indianapolis oval in 2025, is yet to race to a win there. During a press conference on Friday, the three-time Daytona 500 winner compared the race to the Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing.

Hamlin has come close several times at Indianapolis. In 2018, he had a strong run and was fighting near the front late in the race before Brad Keselowski took the win after a late caution changed the finish.

In 2020, Hamlin looked like the driver to beat and held the lead with eight laps remaining before a tire failure ended his chances. He was also running third for the win in the 2021 Verizon 200 on the Indianapolis road course before a late crash ended his day. Last year, the 45-year-old started from the rear after a qualifying crash but recovered to finish third behind Wallace and runner-up Kyle Larson.

Hamlin qualified fifth for the 2026 Brickyard 400 after posting a lap of 185.835 mph in the No. 11 Toyota. Carson Hocevar won the pole, followed by Daniel Suarez, Tyler Reddick, and Ty Gibbs in the top four spots.

Denny Hamlin, whose contract with Joe Gibbs Racing is about to end in 2027, has shared that his work as a team owner might be a major part of how people will remember him in the sport.

23XI Racing's No. 45 Toyota driver Tyler Reddick dominated the start of the 2026 season after winning the first 4 of six NASCAR Cup races. Hamlin also fought against NASCAR for the charter agreement and settled with the sanctioning body in December last year.

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