Then the first two races of the opening round were disastrous and Hamlin went to Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night in danger of being eliminated from the 16-driver playoff field. That's when he (jokingly) began looking to rehome Lulu, much to his daughters' dismay.

Brad Keselowki, Martin Truex Jr., Ty Gibbs and Harrison Burton knocked out as the 16-driver field was cut to 12 in the first of three elimination races.

Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr. as well as Ty Gibbs and Harrison Burton were knocked out of the postseason.

The future of little Lulu, the stray puppy Denny Hamlin's daughters found under the Gateway Arch in St. Louis in June, has been in doubt ever since Hamlin decided the addition to his household had derailed his season. Hamlin even had stats to back up his claims.

Denny Hamlin, who has won the past two Bristol Cup races, enters Saturday night's race six points below the cutline.

Denny Hamlin recounts his day at Bristol Motor Speedway as the No. 11 team lives to fight in the Round of 12 in the NASCAR Playoffs.

It's just insane to see how racing at Bristol Motor Speedway could change in a matter of months. The post Denny Hamlin Insider Exposes the Harsh 'Truth' of Bristol's Glory Days in NASCAR in 8 Words appeared first on EssentiallySports.

Going into Saturday's Bristol Night race, one of the biggest storylines was whether Denny Hamlin could do enough to advance to the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Yes, Hamlin had won the last two races at Bristol,

This weekend is do or die for Denny Hamlin if he wants to save his championship bid. The post Sitting on the Verge of Elimination, Denny Hamlin Has Only One Mindset Heading to Bristol appeared first on EssentiallySports.

Former title favorite Hamlin heads to Bristol Motor Speedway only thinking about the checkered flag: "I’m going to be on the offense, starting right away."