23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin qualified for the Championship 4 race this season with Joe Gibbs Racing and was featured on NASCAR on FOX. During the pre-race interview, Hamlin shared whether he would feel awkward while receiving the Cup Series champion trophy amid the ongoing lawsuit against the sanctioning body.The situation arose when 23XI and FRM refused to sign the new charter agreement last October. The teams then filed a lawsuit against the governing body and CEO Jim France, alleging that they had monopolized the sport. Last year, the teams were allowed to compete as chartered teams, but this season they were stripped of that title. The lawsuit is set to go on trial on December 1, 2025.Denny Hamlin became the first driver to advance to the Championship 4 race. He achieved his spot in the Phoenix race after his Las Vegas Motor Speedway victory. Following that, Hamlin was asked if he would feel awkward receiving the trophy from Jim France or Steve Phelps.Reflecting on that, the JGR driver replied that things wouldn't get awkward between them and stated [00:05]:"No, I don't think so. I mean, I've seen those guys as much as I've ever seen them over the last few weeks. It's just that I've had a different suit on, and they have been in their normal suits. So I don't think so. Respect for all those guys, obviously. It's a totally different issue than what we're fighting on."Denny Hamlin will compete against his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe, along with Hendrick Motorsports rivals Kyle Larson and William Byron, at Phoenix Raceway. Larson is the only driver in the mix with prior experience of winning the championship title, having done so back in 2021.“Nothing would absolutely suck worse”: Denny Hamlin expressed his feelings on things going south at Phoenix RacewayIn October 2025, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin opened up about the scenarios that could affect his run during the Championship 4 race. Since his childhood, Hamlin has always dreamt of becoming the Cup Series champion, and he could fulfill his dream this season.But things might not be that easy for the NASCAR veteran, and he needs to resolve some major issues before he sets foot in Phoenix Raceway. He has faced power steering and stuck throttle issues at Kansas Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.In light of these issues, Denny Hamlin stated on his podcast Actions Detrimental:“Yeah, it’s really, really frustrating because we want our results dictated by our performance on the racetrack. Nothing would absolutely suck worse than to go to Phoenix and have a mechanical (issue) or something happen that takes away (my) opportunity to achieve (my) dream."Denny Hamlin has been dominating the 2025 season in his #11 Toyota Camry XSE and has logged six wins so far. He also clinched 17 top tens, 14 top fives, and four pole positions in 34 starts this season.