Latest news with #Hamlin
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Denny Hamlin Warns NASCAR Drivers Who Attempt Specific Move on Him
Chase Briscoe admitted that if Dover winner Denny Hamlin wasn't his teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing, he would've raced him differently in the final laps of Sunday's race. If he had taken a different approach, it appears things would've ended much worse for both drivers. Hamlin said on the latest episode of Actions Detrimental that if any driver attempts to run him up the track and force him to lift toward the wall, he could take them out with him. 'If someone is going to chase me up the track, this is a public service announcement to anyone that thinks they're going to do that. If they do it, I'm just going to hold the gas down, bounce off the wall and take you out with me. That's what I would've done.' Denny Hamlin on what will happen if a driver tries to chase him up the track on the final laps Read More: Hamlin was asked what Chase Briscoe could have done differently after the final restart in overtime to try and beat him. The driver of the No. 11 car said that the only thing the No. 19 could have done was 'through one and two, run me up the track, force me to lift off turn two.' However, if Briscoe attempted that, Hamlin said he wasn't going to lift. He would have kept his foot down on the gas, bounced off the wall, and it could have ended poorly for both drivers. 'I wasn't going to lift. There's just no way. I'm already in control of the race. It's our race to lose. Running me up the race track, that's what he could've done, I just think it probably would have been bad for both of us.' Denny Hamlin on what would've happened if Chase Briscoe tried to lift him on the final laps Related: Fortunately, as was the case with Christopher Bell in the battle for the lead, Briscoe is Hamlin's JGR teammate, and they both recognized the importance of the team securing a first- and second-place finish. It's something to keep in mind with the NASCAR schedule this weekend headed to Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where Hamlin is seeking a Brickyard 400 victory that has eluded him throughout his career. If he's in the lead near the finish line and someone like Joey Logano or Kyle Larson is battling him, things could get interesting. Related:
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Denny Hamlin: Majority of NASCAR Playoff Committe Wants New Championship Format
The NASCAR playoff committee was formed this year to consider changing the one-race championship format for 2026. While a change to the playoffs now seems increasingly unlikely next year, Denny Hamlin says the committee wants to deliver what the fans want. On the latest episode of Actions Detrimental, Hamlin revealed that he is part of the NASCAR playoff committee that Jeff Gluck of The Athletic is also part of. He also shed light on the level of support there is among committee members for changing the playoff format. 'Most of the room, if not all of the room's, general opinion is that the one-race thing needs to go…There is a large concern of the legitimacy of it (one-race championship).' Denny Hamlin on the amount of support within the NASCAR playoff committee for changing the one-race championship format Related: Hamlin made sure to note that no one in the room believes the one-race champions, such as Joey Logano, are illegitimate winners. Those drivers took full advantage of the playoff format NASCAR established, with Team Penske particularly adept at maximizing a one-race championship at Phoenix Raceway. As the driver of the No. 11 car pointed out, the one-race championship cannot be directly compared to the Super Bowl. For that comparison to be accurate—using Super Bowl LIX as an example—teams like the Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, and New York Jets would also have to be on the field alongside the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. Related: NASCAR's current championship format allows for crashes caused by drivers often finishing outside the top 20 to take out contenders in the Championship 4 or draw a caution flag that influences who wins the championship. Hamlin also echoed what Gluck reported on The Teardown, stating that NBC appears to have 'the biggest voice' in deciding the championship format. NASCAR told the playoff committee that a 'long discussion' with NBC was necessary, but it would not happen for a while. Until then, substantial progress on a new format cannot be made. With the NASCAR schedule for 2026 set to be released next month, there is very little time left to finalize and implement any new championship format for next year's race schedule. As a result, the change that the majority within the sport want to see likely will not come until 2027 at the earliest. Related Headlines Top Phillies Bullpen Trade Targets After Emmanuel Clase, Felix Bautista Off-The-Board Cincinnati Bengals Get Positive Update on Trey Hendrickson's Holdout NASCAR standings: Cup Series points leaders 2025, Truck and Xfinity Series standings right now Buffalo Bills' First-Round Rookie Suffers Non-Contact Injury
NZ Herald
14 hours ago
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Whanganui rugby: Steelform Whanganui face Hawke's Bay in Heartland warm-up
'Now the message is, 'that's great, but that's done'. It would be great to get that amount of people [watching] again, but it's about raising our level with intensity, and getting our game sorted,' said Hamlin. 'Now we've got this new bunch of players – got some kids that, when they start Heartland, it will be their first provincial game.' Regular loose forward and try-scorer against the Classics, Samu Kubunavanua, is unavailable with work commitments. Among the injured veterans, it is still likely lock Peter-Travis Hay-Horton and hooker Alesana Tofa will not play until the start of Heartland, while backs Dane Whale and Timoci Seruwalu will resume some training duties next week. Otherwise, all players are available, meaning a couple may miss out when the squad is officially announced on Friday morning, with Hamlin expecting them to jump on with other representative teams. Throughout the Heartland campaign, there will be fixtures for the McFall Fuel Whanganui Barbarians, Whanganui Pasifika, Whanganui Māori and even the Northern sub-union team. 'We've got all these things, other avenues we can play games at, so there's all sorts we can keep people playing when they're not involved with us,' said Hamlin. 'That's what we need them to be doing too; the guys that don't make the team need to go away and be playmakers and run [the other] teams, and get tempo of games, because that's what they'll have to do if they come back up.' With the coveted No 15 jersey open due to the departure of Tyler Rogers-Holden, Hamlin has a couple of options. Adam Boult, with 14 games for Manawatū, covered the wing last Saturday while, in his return to the team for the first time since 2018, Harry Symes scored and laid on a couple of try-assists before handing over to debutant Chad Whale. Hamlin was happy with the first-up efforts of imports Matt Picard at hooker and halfback Cody Mitchell. 'Matt at hooker did his core roles well, which is all we really want out of him - he was solid,' said Hamlin. 'We'll see what that looks like on Saturday, adding scrumaging into the mix as well. 'Daniel Kauika played really well in that first 30-40 minutes, and then Cody came on with a lot of changes, so that makes it difficult. 'But he can add a bit of tempo to our game, pretty happy with both of them.' Kickoff is 2.30pm.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Buffalo Bills S Cole Bishop claiming starting snaps early in training camp
After two days of training camp, the Buffalo Bills appear to have a decided pecking order at strong safety. In his second NFL season, Cole Bishop has taken the bulk of snaps at strong safety with the starting defense. Alongside Bishop, it's been Taylor Rapp in at starting free safety. Bishop struggled to acclimate to the position as a rookie during the 2024 season, partially due to a shoulder injury (scapular fracture) he suffered late last July. While Bishop did eventually recover and participate on defense in his rookie season, it was clear he had a lot of catching up to do. That injury opened the door for safety Damar Hamlin to claim the starting job next to Rapp. It was a move that Hamlin never relinquished last season, despite plenty of people anxious to see Bishop take his lumps. It was also a role that seemed too big for the rookie. When given a chance, Bishop struggled throughout the season, whether filling in for an injured Hamlin or perhaps most evident while trying to defend against Kansas City Chiefs wide receivers Xavier Worthy and JuJu Smith-Schuster during last season's AFC Championship Game. Still, Bishop ended his rookie campaign on a more positive note than it began simply because he was playing more, and gaining experience. All told, Bishop ended 2024 starting four of 16 games in which he suited up. He made 40 tackles (25 solo), one tackle for loss, two pass defenses, and one forced fumble (per Pro Football Reference). Most importantly, Bishop ended the season healthy enough not to be listed on the team's final injury reports. Due to such inconsistent efforts, plenty of questions remained about what head coach Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Bobby Babich planned to do at safety heading into 2025. Could the team trust Bishop enough given his early injury history, struggles, and inability to supplant Hamlin? It would seem they've done just that in the early going, with Bishop continually playing with the ones. If he's able to limit the bad breaks in coverage and lapses in judgement observed to often last year, Bishop is a player with an athletic pedigree that stands out in the safety room. Now, he'll have to prove capable of doing all the other things important of his position: calling defensive coverages and communicating with the back seven units. It's a role that Hamlin excelled with in 2024, and one likely needed for anyone hoping to lay full claim to Buffalo's strong safety spot in 2025. Is Bishop ready to become the Bills' coverage chess piece in year two? More from Bills training camp preview and bold predictions Buffalo Bills preseason football can't get here soon enough OL Mike Edwards looks to make a large impact with the Buffalo Bills this summer Bills Mafia pick Buffalo's 2025 receiving TDs leader Do you remember the Bills' 'Monday Night Football' debut in 1973? Second-year safety Cole Bishop can seize a starting spot this summer Bills make series of roster moves ahead of 2025 training camp
NBC Sports
15 hours ago
- Automotive
- NBC Sports
July NASCAR Cup Power Rankings: Top spot goes to Denny Hamlin
Denny Hamlin followed his No. 1 ranking in the June Power Rankings by again taking the top spot in the July Power Rankings. He repeated at No. 1 after a month that saw him win once and finish in the top five in three of the four races in July. July Power Rankings 1. Denny Hamlin (Last month: No. 1) Hamlin earns the top spot after winning a race (Dover), finishing third (Indianapolis) and placing fourth (Chicago Street Race) in July. He scored the most points in the series in July with 155. Hamlin scored a series-high 45 stage points in the month. He also posted the fastest lap of the race at Dover — which came on the last lap as he led while on older tires — and Indianapolis. 2. Chase Briscoe (NR) Briscoe had a pair of runner-up finishes (Sonoma and Dover), won the pole at Indianapolis and started second at Dover and Sonoma. He scored 147 points in the month, second only to Hamlin. Briscoe also had a stage win and scored 44 stage points, second only to Hamlin. Briscoe scored points in seven of the month's eight stages. 3. Shane van Gisbergen (NR) He won the Chicago Street Race and at Sonoma, collecting 99 of the 124 points he scored in the month in those two races. He placed 30th at Dover and was 19th at Indianapolis after qualifying 11th — his best qualifying performance on an oval. His oval performances kept him from ranking higher. 4. Chase Elliott (No. 2) Elliott took the points lead this month from Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron. Elliott has been consistent all season and that showed in July. His 132 points ranked fourth in the series. He placed third at Sonoma and sixth at Dover. Elliott had a stage win in July (Dover) and led 238 laps (all at Dover). 5. Bubba Wallace (NR) The Brickyard 400 winner held off Kyle Larson on two overtime restarts to earn his first victory of the season and the first for 23XI Racing this year. Wallace was tied for sixth in points scored in July and ended the month with back-to-back top-10 results — seventh at Dover and first at Indy. Wallace scored points in six of eight stages in the month. His Indy win took him off the playoff cutline. Those outside the top five Alex Bowman — He scored 136 points, which ranked fourth among all drivers in July. Bowman had three top 10s in the four races, placing third at Dover, eighth in the Chicago Street Race and ninth at Indianapolis — his best finish there. Kyle Larson — He scored 122 points for the month. Larson ranked fifth for the month in stage points scored with 28. He had back-to-back top-five finishes to end the month, placing fourth at Dover and second at Indianapolis. Points scored in July 155 — Denny Hamlin (1 win) 147 — Chase Briscoe 136 — Alex Bowman 132 — Chase Elliott 124 — Shane van Gisbergen (2 wins) 122 — Kyle Larson 122 — Kyle Busch 122 — Bubba Wallace (1 win) 122 — Tyler Reddick 122 — Ty Gibbs 113 — Christopher Bell 112 — Ryan Blaney 112 — Ryan Preece 102 — Chris Buescher 92 — Brad Keselowski 91 — William Byron 87 — Joey Logano 84 — Justin Haley 79 — John Hunter Nemechek 79 — Michael McDowell 72 — Ty Dillon 66 — AJ Allmendinger 60 — Austin Cindric 60 — Ross Chastain 59 — Todd Gilliland 57 — Zane Smith 56 — Riley Herbst 52 — Daniel Suarez 51 — Josh Berry 44 — Carson Hocevar 43 — Cole Custer 42 — Austin Dillon 39 — Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 33 — Erik Jones 18 — Noah Gragson 16 — Cody Ware Stage points scored in July 45 — Denny Hamlin 44 — Chase Briscoe (1 stage win) 34 — William Byron 32 — Bubba Wallace 28 — Kyle Larson 27 — Ryan Blaney (2 stage wins) 27 — Alex Bowman 25 — Kyle Busch 23 — Tyler Reddick 22 — Chase Elliott (1 stage win) 20 — Christopher Bell (1 stage win) 19 — Shane van Gisbergen (1 stage win) 15 — Ross Chastain (1 stage win) 13 — Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 11 — Chris Buescher 10 — Michael McDowell (1 stage win) 9 — Ty Dillon 9 — Ty Gibbs 8 — Carson Hocevar 7 — John Hunter Nemechek 6 — Brad Keselowski 6 — Ryan Preece 5 — Joey Logano 3 — Zane Smith 2 — Austin Dillon 2 — Erik Jones 1 — Noah Gragson 1 — AJ Allmendinger Laps Led in July 238 — Chase Elliott 123 — Shane van Gisbergen 68 — Denny Hamlin 68 — Christopher Bell 62 — Chase Briscoe 40 — Austin Cindric 34 — Michael McDowell 33 — Bubba Wallace 22 — Kyle Larson 17 — Ryan Blaney 15 — Justin Haley 12 — Ryan Preece 6 — Daniel Suarez 4 — Ross Chastain 3 — Noah Gragson 3 — Alex Bowman 2 — AJ Allmendinger 1 — John Hunter Nemechek 1 — Ty Gibbs Watch highlights from the NASCAR Cup Series Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Watch highlights from the NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 165 on the streets of Chicago. Watch highlights from the NASCAR Cup Series Toyota / Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway.
