Denny Hamlin 2019 season in review

A walk-off win to secure his spot in the Championship 4 and setting record highs in three major categories helped tell the tale of Denny Hamlin’s 2019 season. Take a look back at some of the best moments for the driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

Hamlin set personal bests in top fives (19), top 10s (24) and average finish (9.5) this season. The sub-10 average finish marks the first time he achieved the feat in 14 full seasons at the Cup Series level, and his 19 top fives ranked the most among all drivers in 2019.

A season-opening victory in the Daytona 500 set the stage for Hamlin to have a big year. He held off teammates Kyle Busch and Erik Jones to pick up his second career 500 win and make his first trip to Victory Lane at a superspeedway since 2016. The win was emotional for all of JGR as it came shortly after the passing of Hamlin's friend and Joe Gibbs' son, J.D. Gibbs.

After his victory at Texas Motor Speedway, the No. 11 team turned up the heat during the summer, enjoying six top fives and a pair of wins at Pocono Raceway and Bristol Motor Speedway during a six-race stretch. Narrowly missing out on claiming even more wins during this impressive pace, Hamlin finished runner-up at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Michigan International Speedway.

Hamlin's first Busch Pole Award of the season came before that Bristol Night Race -- extending his consecutive seasons with a pole streak to eight. He went on to win that race, passing Matt DiBenedetto late for the victory.

Entering the NASCAR Playoffs second in the standings, Hamlin made his way through the Round of 16 and had a great Round of 12. Strong finishes at Dover International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway plus a dominant win at Kansas Speedway ensured him a spot in the Round of 8 after not reaching that round in 2018.

Trailing Joey Logano in points had Hamlin's season hinging on a near-perfect result in the Round of 8 finale at ISM Raceway near Phoenix -- and it was most likely win or go home for Hamlin and crew. In perhaps the most clutch win of his career, Hamlin's walk-off victory punched his ticket to the Championship 4 alongside teammates Busch and Martin Truex Jr.

Hamlin started up front for the championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway but led just two laps. A late-race strategic mishap with grille tape caused him to fall off the leader’s pace, ultimately seeing him finish 10th on the night and fourth in the final series standings.

Winning six races -- Hamlin's best output since 2010 -- and finishing more than half of them inside the top five helped make 2019 possibly Hamlin's best statistical season at the premier level. His 37 career wins without a Cup Series championship rank third all-time behind Junior Johnson (50) and Mark Martin (40). Could 2020 be when he grabs his long-awaited title?