ESPN.com
RICHMOND, Va. -- After 26 races, a lot of craziness from the "have at it, boys" edict and some of the best racing the Sprint Cup Series has seen in years, all is as many predicted it would be in February.
Denny Hamlin is the favorite to end Jimmie Johnson's four-year reign as champion.
The driver from Chesterfield, Va., earned that right by winning Saturday night's regular-season finale at Richmond International Raceway for the second straight year to give him six victories on the season and the points lead heading into the Chase.
Denny Hamlin may have the momentum heading into the Chase opener at New Hampshire, but 11 other drivers -- Clint Bowyer included -- believe they can catch him, writes Terry Blount. He will start 10 points ahead of Johnson -- who finished third on a night that began with a lot of hype but ended with little drama -- next Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (1 p.m. ET, ESPN).
You could hear the confidence in Hamlin's voice as he was asked which of the 10 Chase tracks concerned him the most.
"At this point, I'd say we can win at all of them," he said.
Hamlin wasn't being cocky. He was just being as confident as he was Friday when telling reporters he would be a factor at the end as long as Joe Gibbs Racing gave him a car that would finish races.
There's good reason for that confidence, too. Hamlin has won on short tracks and intermediate tracks this season and run well at times on restrictor-plate tracks.
To be the champion, as Johnson has proved, you have to be good everywhere.
"I've been in a lot of these Chases," said Hamlin, who finished third as a rookie in 2006. "I've made a lot of mistakes. Every year I feel like I've learned something. This year I'm more prepared than ever."
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