Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin seems to be excited to go racing this Sunday as the NASCAR Cup Series returns to Bristol Motor Speedway with the conventional concrete surface this year.
Winner of the last Cup Series event at the venue in 2023, the 23XI Racing co-owner seems to be appreciative of another change made to the track since his visit to victory lane last year.
The 2024 Food City 500 will see the 0.5-mile-long track's walls painted in the throwback red and white colors for the upcoming event. The track sported this combination of colors on its walls lining the racing surface last in 1992.
Trending
Denny Hamlin commented on how this would affect drivers on the track, possibly making racing better for them as well as the spectators.
"The black walls were difficult to see from the driver’s standpoint, especially at night," Hamlin told wjhl.com. "I always liked colored walls, so I think red and white is a good change. And certainly anything that kind of brings us back to that is good and that’s super helpful for the visuals for the drivers as well. The more we see the walls, of course, we’re going to get closer."
It remains to be seen if the JGR driver can replicate their previous success at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend.
Kevin Harvick picks Denny Hamlin as favorite to win at Bristol Motor Speedway
Kevin Harvick, a former NASCAR Cup Series driver, appears to be relishing his roles in the FOX Sports booth, providing race commentary this season, and hosting his podcast, Harvick Happy Hour.
The former Stewart-Haas Racing driver has picked Denny Hamlin as his favorite to win this weekend during the 2024 Food City 500. Elaborating on why he chose the JGR driver, Harvick said in his podcast:
"I’m just going to go with the old boring pick, I think I’m going to go with the guy that won there last time that I think had a shot to win it this week (at Phoenix) in Denny Hamlin. I think he’s got that dog in him still. I think if Denny Hamlin doesn’t win … I think one of the RFK cars will hopefully be up front."
It will be interesting to see how well drivers adapt to being back on the concrete surface this Sunday as the 500-mile-long race goes live on Sunday at 3:30 pm ET.
