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Arguably NASCAR's most hated driver, Denny Hamlin thinks he's as good if not better than a lot of champions in the past. The racing veteran currently finds himself third in the standings but is yet to win a title despite being a part of the series for close to two decades.
Even though he has more than 50 wins in NASCAR, the driver still gets called out by the fans for having that elusive title.
In an exclusive with Motorsport.com, Denny Hamlin expanded on how he considered himself to be a better driver than many who have won the title. Touching about how the win does not come down to a single driver but depends on the team, he said:
“That is their go-to because they have nothing else. They literally have nothing else. It’s the most uneducated statement anyone could ever make – that I’m no good because I haven’t won a championship. I know damn well that I’m better than a lot of the champions we’ve had in our sport."
He added:
"There is zero question in my mind if we race heads up, same car, same everything, I will beat them. But it’s not the sport we’re in. This is a team sport and there are a lot of things out of your control as a driver. It is not a one-man band.”
"Winning a title will not change their opinion about me" - Denny Hamlin on how fans view him
When asked if winning a title in NASCAR after all these years would change the fan sentiment around him, Hamlin disagreed and said that wouldn't happen. He feels that fans would end up finding something else to hate him for if he did end up winning the title.
Hamlin explained:
“Winning a title will not change their opinion about me. I could win the next two or three in a row and it’s not going to change their opinion because they just dislike me... And that’s OK."
He added:
“I don’t for one minute believe it will silence them. They will just go on to something else to think about because they are in misery, basically. They have nothing else to complain about. I am very comfortable in everything I’ve accomplished."
Denny Hamlin is currently third in the championship standings and has already picked up three wins this season.
