NASCAR Anonymous: Denny Hamlin’s Title Chances & Carson Hocevar’s Walk-out Song

Charlotte Convention Center (Charlotte, N.C.) — Much of the talk of the 2026 Chase has been about the format, Denny Hamlin and Carson Hocevar.

So, in our annual anonymous survey of Chase drivers, we asked questions that centered primarily around those topics.

Drivers filled out the one-page form in front of one of our producers, who then took the sheet, folded it and put it in a little tote bag. 

So I don’t know whose form it was when I tallied the votes after Chase media day on Wednesday.

Here are the results.

Who Is The Lowest Seed That You Consider A Serious Championship Contender?

Ryan Preece overcame adversity and secured the lowest seed in The Chase.

All year, the talk has been about how deep in the seeding (with the reset that has 16th just 100 points behind the leader) could the champion come from. In the models used to determine the format, 85 percent of the champions came from the top six seeds.

4 — 16th seed, Ryan Preece
3 — 13th seed, William Byron 
2 — 14th seed, Bubba Wallace
2 — 7th seed, Christopher Bell
1 — 11th seed, Daniel Suarez
1 — 9th seed, Joey Logano
1 — 8th seed, Chase Elliott
1 — 6th seed, Christopher Bell
1 — 4th seed, Ty Gibbs

Preece knew many drivers wouldn’t think he would have a shot at the title.

“I love that,” Preece told me Wednesday without knowing the final results of the poll. “I don’t think anybody thought I would overcome adversity with the [early season 25-point] penalty at Daytona. And we did.”

Which Chase Driver Will You Least Likely Draft With At Talladega?

Talladega will be a pivotal race and it’s always interesting to hear which drivers might not get the drafting partner they need. We limited the answers to Chase drivers.

9 — Carson Hocevar
3 — Daniel Suárez
2 — Ty Gibbs
1 — Tyler Reddick
1 — Kyle Larson
1 — Bubba Wallace

Note: One driver marked two selections

Will This Be The Year Denny Hamlin Wins The Title?

Will 2026 finally be Denny Hamlin’s championship year?

To be fair, this question should probably have been written to say, “if you don’t win the title, will this be the year Denny Hamlin wins the title?” That might have changed some answers. Still, it was a little surprising to see the drivers’ thoughts on the No. 1 seed who — by the way — is going for his first title in his 20th Chase.

12 — No
3 — Yes
1 — No answer

Do You Listen To Denny Hamlin’s Podcast?

Full disclosure: I listen to the podcast every week. But I wondered if the drivers listen to Denny regularly. Maybe we should have asked if they listen to any racing podcasts. 

9 — No
4 — Yes
3 — Sometimes (which drivers wrote in because the sheet just had them mark “yes” or “no”)

Which Winless Chase Driver(s) Will Win A Chase race? (can choose more than one)

Christopher Bell has had a string of second-place finishes but with no victories in 2026.

There are six drivers in the Chase who have not won races this year. Which competitors do other drivers believe have performed well enough so that it’s only a matter of time?

11 — Christopher Bell
7 — Kyle Larson
7 — William Byron
3 — Chris Buescher
3 — Bubba Wallace
2 — Austin Cindric

Bell certainly thinks he can win. He has had seven second-place finishes this year. 

“The same way that we finished second seven times, that’s how we’re going to win in the Chase,” Bell told me, indicating that some of those situations were just ones where he did everything he could to win and things just didn’t fall his way.

If You Could Pick A Walk-out Song For Bristol For Carson Hocevar, What Would It Be?

Drivers took a moment to poke fun at Carson Hocevar with walk-out song ideas.

This was the only write-in answer of the survey. Considering that Hocevar has pinched many drivers over the last few years, we figured this might be a way for them to have fun if they wanted to deliver a message.

6 — No answer
3 — Barbie Girl
1 — Not As Good As I Once Was
1 — Wrecking Ball
1 — Pink Pony Club
1 — Bluey Theme
1 — Baby Shark
1 — Silence

Some of the “no” answers had write-in commentary that included, “Na, he’s on his own” and “Don’t care.” And one driver handed it back saying, “I don’t give a [expletive].”

Certainly, no driver is as polarizing at the moment as Hocevar.