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The last race in Las Vegas wasn’t ideal for Denny Hamlin, the experienced NASCAR driver, who knows he had an opportunity he needed to seize. The 43-year-old NASCAR driver, in a post-race media interview, decided to openly discuss the challenges he faced in the last race.
Denny Hamlin pointed out that he didn’t have the best day, and his P8 finish could have been something quite different.
He recognized that these kinds of races are part and parcel of a NASCAR driver’s career and that he was prepared for anything. As he does for every race, he emphasized the importance of his crew and this time Denny praised Chris Gabehart and his efforts to make things go as smoothly as possible.
“Just not a clean day. That certainly kind of sums it up,” Hamlin said, as quoted by On3.
“You’ll have that and we’ll just do the best we can to get the best finish. I thought Chris [Gabehart] did a great job trying to get some sort of finish. Once we lost the track position early, he was doing everything he could to try to get it back. …It’s just part of it.”
The JGR driver is determined to achieve his biggest goal: winning the championship. This is something that eludes him in the Cup Series and is often used by others to downplay Hamlin's successes. Denny has stated several times that the fact he hasn’t won a championship doesn’t diminish all he has accomplished in his career.
The 43-year-old was honest, admitting that he would love to win a championship. He has a chance to do so in the upcoming races in Martinsville or Miami over the next few weeks. The experienced NASCAR driver is currently fifth in the playoff standings, and a deficit of 27 points is not insurmountable.
Denny Hamlin expressed uncertainty about the current performance of his team, stating that they are not running as strong as they did earlier in the season. He acknowledged that their execution has not been as precise as it once was and emphasized the need to improve in that area. Looking ahead, he stated that the focus is on the upcoming race in Homestead, where they will aim to secure a victory.
There are many quality drivers in NASCAR this year, just as in every year, making it difficult for Hamlin to achieve great results in such tough competition. However, if he wants to become a champion, he must be ready to compete against the best and disrupt their plans. Fans believe that his experience could be crucial in the championship pursuit. While Hamlin is not the only seasoned driver on the NASCAR circuit, he has the capabilities and potential to achieve that success.
In speaking with the media ahead of the playoff races in September, Hamlin stressed that advancing to the next round is challenging. One thing that concerns the 43-year-old driver is the reality that many factors are beyond his control. He expressed uncertainty about how his car will perform in the upcoming races and what to expect from it.
Denny Hamlin on the upcoming races
However, he is determined to give his best effort and do everything he can to reach the top and achieve significant success. It’s clear that many believe Denny belongs to the group of drivers who truly have the potential to win the championship. The upcoming races could provide the answers everyone is looking for.
“Absolutely. Because of the variables,” Hamlin said.
“Like, it’s one thing to not have many Playoff points but then to not have them on tracks that you know that your result is not necessarily in always your hands, it certainly makes it a precarious position but it’s what we got and I’ll do the best that I can and I know that I’m going to go to the track with the same mindset and that’s to win every week.”
Denny Hamlin believes that his team's chances are as strong as anyone else's, although he stresses that drivers like Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell, and Kyle Larson have an advantage due to their higher playoff points. Finally, he feels that his car is one of the few capable of winning on any given week.
It will be interesting to follow the remainder of the season to see who truly has the best chance of winning the championship. This season is unique in many ways, and the excitement is just beginning. Hamlin is determined to break the curse he feels he has carried and hopes that winning the championship will help erase those unfortunate moments from his career.
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