TRENDING NFL trade deadline tracker Bills beat Vikings on MNF Wemby's on a tear NFL Power Rankings Week 10 Waiver Wire Story by Story by Denny Hamlin Thinks Kyle Larson Can Chase Jimmie Johnson’s 7 NASCAR Titles Andrew Ravens · MotorBiscuit Tue, November 10, 2026 at 5:00 PM UTC · 3 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Denny Hamlin says Kyle Larson , who won his third NASCAR Cup title on Sunday, is "this generation's Jimmie" and could chase Jimmie Johnson's seven championships.
Hamlin, who finished third in the standings, spoke after Sunday's finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. "I mean, just an exceptional talent," he said of Larson. "He's this generation's Jimmie, right?"
"I think that's the only way you can kind of describe it. Just, you know, when it comes to playoff time, they perform their best, and that's something that Jimmie used to do," Hamlin said, referring to Jimmie Johnson .
"And Jimmie was a guy that could get tons of speed out of the car. Kyle's the same way. You could argue even more speed," he said.
Larson clinched his third Cup title after Stage 1 on Sunday. He is the 11th driver in Cup history with at least three championships, and he won back-to-back titles in 2025 and 2026.
Johnson won seven titles with Hendrick Motorsports , including five straight from 2006 through 2010. Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt also won seven.
Hamlin thinks Larson can get there, depending on how long he keeps racing.
"Yeah, I mean, it seems feasible. You don't know how long he's going to go, right? And so I think that matters. But, I mean, I think if he can get to 5 or 6 by 40, then he's probably going to try to go all the way," Hamlin said.
Larson, who also races sprint cars and other forms of motorsports , is 34. Hamlin also said he has watched Larson mature over the last decade and shared a story from early in Larson's career.
"I remember many, many years ago I was studying some notes or something, and he was saying, 'What are you doing all that for? Just drive the car,'" Hamlin said. "And he moved over to Hendrick, and I think they made him start doing that stuff, and then you see the results."
Team owner Rick Hendrick also weighed in Sunday night on whether Larson can match Johnson. He believes Larson and crew chief Cliff Daniels can keep winning, but he said the Next Gen car changes the picture.
"Jimmie had an unbelievable run, and it wasn't in this car. So I think that's a big difference," Hendrick said, in comments shared by Jeff Gluck of The Athletic .
"We can't do very much in this car. We could do a lot with the car we had before, but I think it's very possible, as talented as he and Cliff are together, for him to string them together," Hendrick said.
The Next Gen car, introduced in 2022, uses more standardized parts and limits how much teams can develop on their own.
"I don't know we can win five in a row, but they sure have a chemistry to do multiple wins," Hendrick said. "I couldn't believe we did five in a row, but I think two in a row is pretty awesome right now."
Hendrick has locked up the pairing. Larson signed an extension in February that keeps him in the No. 5 through 2031, and Daniels signed a multiyear deal to stay on as his crew chief. The two have won all three of Larson's titles together.
Source: Sports
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