Looking a lot younger than the 30 years he turned Thursday, Hamlin politely smiled but more often stared up at the ceiling as his two bearded, 30-something challengers -- four-time defending Cup champ Jimmie Johnson and veteran Kevin Harvick -- arrived and took their seats on either side of him, then seized every opportunity to take good-natured barbs at the birthday boy and each other.
Hamlin, who holds a 15-point edge over Johnson and a 46-point cushion over Harvick entering Sunday's season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, called the event "awkward'' because "there's all this s***-talking going on and we're like two feet away (from each other).''
"He definitely seems like the most nervous,'' Harvick said smiling and looking over at Hamlin.
"That's because I'm between you,'' Hamlin replied.
Actually, it's his position in front of them that has made this the most dramatic final race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup since NASCAR first instituted its 10-race playoff format seven years ago.
It is the closest-ever margin between first and second place entering the final race. And Harvick, who has the best average finishing position (8.4) among the three at the 1.5-mile Homestead oval, is still a factor compared to past years when a third-place driver was merely a mathematical technicality.
The different personalities of these drivers and their willingness to play mind games and take jabs at each other has created the kind of compelling storyline that NASCAR badly needs in a time of sagging television ratings, poor attendance and a championship culture of "anyone but Johnson."
It has made for more interesting hype leading into the finale than the past three years when Johnson was politely and lovingly schooling a Hendrick Motorsports teammate.
"And it goes along with what we've seen in 2010 from the beginning,'' said 1999 Cup champion Dale Jarrett, now an analyst for ESPN's race broadcasts.
"It's been a whole lot more fun year, whether on the track or off the track, everyone's kinda been a little more in each other's face.
"Now we have three completely different personalities going for the championship. And not only has it been them, but three different personalities with crew chiefs. ... and take a look at the three owners and their different backgrounds."
Dale Jarrett "Now we have three completely different personalities going for the championship. And not only has it been them, but three different personalities with crew chiefs. ... and take a look at the three owners and their different backgrounds.
"We have a former racer in Richard Childress (Harvick's team owner), who didn't accomplish a lot as a racer but with the help of Ricky Rudd and Dale Earnhardt he's built this super team. Then we have a car salesman in Rick Hendrick (Johnson's car owner) and obviously he's a lot more than a car salesman, but that's what his background is.
"And then you've got a football coach in Joe Gibbs (Hamlin's owner) who is obviously one of the best at that and a great motivator on top of that.
"All of that combined has made for some fun things happening, them wanting to get at each other and seeing if they can rile a person, get under their skin and create a mistake.''
Each driver has different form when it comes to trash-talking -- a new variable in this modern, more politically correct NASCAR era.
In Hamlin's case, it's mostly his crew chief Mike Ford, who has been issuing the zingers. Johnson is a lot more subtle, matter-of-factly stating a half dozen times in the press conference that the pressure is always on the leader.
"I'm just trying to remind Denny that he has everything to lose and we're only 15 points back, really not anything to fret over, Denny,'' Johnson said smiling and looking at Hamlin.
Finally, Hamlin fired back, "I'm not the one with a crown on my head.''
"If we win, I think half the headlines will talk about us winning the championship, the other will be Jimmie Johnson's streak ending. So I think he has equally just as much to lose as we have to gain.''
When pressed by a reporter to answer what "irks" them most about each other, Hamlin completely deferred and Johnson took the politically correct response, "the fact that Denny's in the lead and Kevin, he's lurking back there in third.''
Harvick -- who famously said earlier this season that Johnson was so lucky he had a golden horseshoe up his rear end -- was more direct.
"I'll give you something,'' Harvick said as the room erupted in laughter. "I think the thing that irks me the most about Denny's team is his crew chief. For Jimmie, it's the fact that he's won the last four championships.''
As the press conference wound down, the drivers looked a lot more relaxed and were decidedly more playful. And then came a question about how each would handle a situation where the championship was to be decided in the closing laps among the threesome.
It was a telling glimpse of how competitive each man really is, how badly they want to win this title and that for all the fun and mind games, this is serious business."Maybe I'm wrong, but I haven't thought about last lap scenario,'' Johnson said. "We'll go out and race and see what happens, It's tough for us to sit up here and say, although I know you want me to say that if the 11 (Hamlin) is in front of me and we're coming to the line, I'm going to dump his a**.
"You can't say. It's about going out and racing as hard as you can.''
Hamlin went farther, insisting he would race no differently than he always has.
"I can't really say that I would change my driving style, championship on the line or not,'' Hamlin said. "For me to say, I would wreck a guy or turn a guy for a championship, I don't know how high I could hold that trophy.
"I'm not going to sell out, I'll say that.''
And then Harvick, who says he's merely the most honest of the bunch.
"Obviously, you want to outrun the other team and you want to do it as fair as you can,'' Harvick said. "I think if it comes down to the end, I'll sleep fine.''
Then he paused and grinned.
"I'll do whatever I have to do.''
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