Hamlin doing his homework to stay on top heading into Coca-Cola 600

Denny Hamlin was so bothered by his middling performance at Dover Motor Speedway 12 years ago that he saw a sports psychologist to restore his faith. After winning the NASCAR All-Star Race on Sunday for his third consecutive victory at the 1-mile track, he spoke with the confidence to conquer any oval in the Cup Series. "It's very weird and unique at this point in my career that I'm in this place," the 45-year-old Hamlin said. "But if we're going to a track that turns left, I expect to win every single week." Next up for the 21-year veteran is the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and the oldest driver on the circuit will be among the favorites for the longest race in NASCAR. Points leader Tyler Reddick and Chase Elliott are also expected to be strong in the 600-mile event, but their combined total of 21 Cup starts at the track in Concord, North Carolina, is dwarfed by Hamlin's career total of 34. "I think my experience is carrying me more now than ever," the Joe Gibbs Racing driver said. Coming off his second All-Star Race victory, Hamlin seems primed for a second Coke 600 win at Charlotte, which is one of seven 1.5-mile tracks that play host to a combined 11 races this season. In the past three races on 1.5-mile speedways, Hamlin has a win ( at Las Vegas Motor Speedway ), a second ( behind Elliott at Texas Motor Speedway ) and a fourth ( Kansas Speedway, where he dominated until a late caution allowed Reddick to snatch an overtime win). Sunday's marathon race at Charlotte will be more consequential as a 2026 title predictor. The track's Oct. 11 race has moved from the road course to the oval for the first time in nine years. Charlotte will be one of four 1.5-mile ovals in the revamped Chase, the 10-race championship run to conclude the season. Hamlin, whose sterling resume includes 61 wins but no Cup title, will undoubtedly be studying Charlotte all week, hunting for ways to improve his restarts by adapting his driving style. He calls that trait his biggest strength and credits his massive Dover improvement to watching videos of Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex taming the Monster Mile. "I just watched lap after lap after lap and said, 'I'm going to copy that, right or wrong,'" Hamlin said. "It started working." The No. 11 Toyota driver now shares that knowledge with teammates Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe and Ty Gibbs, who scored his first Cup victory last month at Bristol Motor Speedway and leans regularly on Hamlin's advice. "Every Monday when we have our driver meetings, it's kind of like a master class," said Heather Gibbs, mother of Ty and co-owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. "Denny has so much wisdom, so much experience. He's great with giving feedback. He's still at the top. He definitely hasn't fallen off. We keep joking, 'Hey, what about another year?' To have someone step into the 11 car and win, you're not going to have that. Denny is kind of a legend in that car. I can't even imagine thinking of putting someone else in that car." Hamlin is signed through the 2027 season and has indicated it'll be his last. "I want to finish like this," he said. "I do not want to go through the regression. My ego will not allow me to be mediocre. So I'm going to have to leave some on the table at some point, right? In order to know that you can win your last race, you're going to have to go into the next year saying, 'I'm not doing it, but I could have.'" Chris Gayle, Hamlin's crew chief, said his driver's desire to retire on top makes it easy for the team to avoid tapering off. "There's not many (wins) in front of him anymore," Gayle said. "Every one is probably more and more sweet to him at this point." Open concerns Running the All-Star Race without a warmup act backfired for several drivers. Instead of the All-Star Open, a race in which top finishers can transfer into the main event while the qualified drivers sit out, the entire 36-car field raced in the first two segments before the 200-lap dash for a $1 million prize. More than half the field was involved in crashes during the first two segments, eliminating Chase Elliott and Ross Chastain and leaving Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson with damaged cars incapable of contending. Hamlin was among several drivers who lobbied to bring back the All-Star Open. "I think having the Open is fun," Heather Gibbs said. "You get major street cred when you race your way out of the Open. It's rewarding." Dover future It's unclear if the All-Star Race will be one and done at Dover. Track president Mike Tatoian has been told the track will be on the 2027 Cup schedule (which will be released in a few months) but possibly return as a points race, which Dover hosted annually from 1969-2025. Dover has no lights, and Hamlin wants the All-Star Race as a nighttime event. "I definitely prefer Dover as a points race," he said. "There's no other track like this on our schedule. It requires such a unique style of driving, far different from any oval, that you can't lose tracks like this. The fans really are passionate here." ___ AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing