After three races, several drivers who entered the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season with lofty ambitions have been unable to record even a single top-10 finish. Among the notable names still looking to break into the top 10 — and itching to do so on Sunday at Phoenix — are perennial championship contender Denny Hamlin, rookie second-generation driver Harrison Burton and Roush Fenway Racing’s Chris Buescher. Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell has a lone top-10 finish but is an equally disappointing 29th in the standings after making the playoffs a season ago.
Hamlin has endured a particularly brutal start to 2022, having finished outside the top 30 on two occasions and finished no better than 15th. The veteran driver was enjoying his best outing of the young season this past Sunday at Las Vegas when he led 31 laps before breaking his car’s transaxle on pit road and finishing 32nd. Hamlin will arrive at Phoenix 30th in the standings, two spots ahead of Burton, who's only top-30 finish this year has been a 16th-place result on Sunday at Las Vegas. At least that’s something for the son of 21-time Cup Series race winner Jeff Burton and his Wood Brothers Racing team to build on heading to Phoenix.
“We actually finished the race and got some points,” said Harrison, who crashed and finished with a DNF in the first two races of the season. “We’re just trying to build towards the right direction as a group and trying to make our group better as quick as we can.”