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Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin has taken a jibe at NASCAR’s NextGen car after repeated failures of the aerodynamically sound car to deliver on its promise.
NASCAR has evolved from basic stock car racing to a car powered by a highly tuned engine under the hood. As the seasons progressed, the high-octane cars began going through iterations as new safety problems and a hunger for speed surfaced.
The 2022 season witnessed the advent of Next Gen cars, which promised to curb high-speed problems. However, the emphasis was apparently more on improving the aero profile of the car rather than increasing the engine’s output.
Moreover, while driving through the corners, the NextGen car runs at a comparatively lower RPM, prompting the driver to shift gears while battling the dirty air around the turns. In a bid to make a successful maneuver through the turns in the new cars, the drivers often find themselves spinning out on the track.
Denny Hamlin is among the latest victims of spinning out. His ninth Cup Series weekend at the Texas Motor Speedway ended at a dismal P30 as he spun out on Turn 4 while battling for the lead against Chase Elliott.
Following his disappointing weekend in Texas, the JGR driver, during the Actions Detrimental podcast, called out the subpar stock car and demanded NASCAR fix the issue. Denny Hamlin said:
"NASCAR said publicly that 'Horsepower is just not an option'…we should definitely in my opinion still work to get rid of the shifting. In order to do that, they’re going to need to make the upper RPM slightly higher or else we would be running with way low RPM in the middle of the corner." (14.18)
He added:
"I certainly think shifting is not helping at all on the short tracks. But beyond that it looks like we’re gonna focus on the tires on the short tracks."
Denny Hamlin believes Chase Elliott to be a “threat” to his maiden Cup Series championship prospect
Two decades ago in 2005, Denny Hamlin ventured into the realm of the full-time NASCAR Cup Series, fielding the Japanese manufacturer’s car for the North Carolina-based outfit.
Since his debut, the 43-year-old has amassed 53 victories, and notable wins like the Coca-Cola 600, the Daytona 500, the Southern 500 and many more. However, despite having a decorated arsenal of triumphs, the Cup Series star is still shy of a championship in the highest form of stock car racing.
The current season has seen Hamlin bag two wins, two top-5s, and three top-10s, placing him at P3 in the standings. While the #11 Toyota driver is a favorable pick for this year’s championship, Elliott’s new-found dominance in 2024 has posed a threat to Hamlin’s odds.
Speaking about the HMS driver’s superiority, the Florida native said:
“I think they’ve slowly but surely gotten better, really as the season’s gone on. It seems like there’s a couple of organizations dominating right now, and he’s part of one of them.” (2.07)
"And this is certainly what he’s been capable of for a long time. He’s certainly a threat for sure, because he’s done it before,” Hamlin said in a post-race interview with Frontstretch reporter Stephen Stumpf.
