Denny Hamlin is slowly turning into a NASCAR driver that people just love to hate. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver recently earned the wrath of Kyle Larson at the Pocono Raceway as he fed him into the wall. While he didn’t crash, it severely compromised his race and he finished 20th.

This weekend at the Richmond Raceway, Larson has qualified 14th and Hamlin starts in 3rd place. Siding with Hamlin is Dale Earnhardt Jr who has spoken elaborately about Hamlin’s so-called villain arc.

Dale Earnhardt Jr wonders if Hamlin’s new attitude will win him the title

In essence, Dale Jr suggested that all these rivalries could encourage more fans to take an interest in the sport. To be precise, they love the drama that it brings and it prompts fans to buy tickets. According to him, Hamlin was often the victim of getting ‘run over’, but never did anything about it. All he did was talk a good game and make empty promises of retribution.

Junior on Dale Jr Download said, “Talking about 1979, and we all know what happened at Daytona in the fight. What we are learning, is how that affected all ticket sales throughout the rest of the year. All the way through May, they are outselling every track from the years before.

“This crescendoed and continued this current, and so me and you are learning about that. That 1979 season and how that one little spat affected everything. All these fans were behind tickets, that had never been to a race before, ‘I gotta see this. I gotta watch NASCAR. Is this what I will see?’ It’s absolutely going to have a good positive effect on the next race and beyond.”

READ MORE: “Most Disappointed in Me” – Dale Earnhardt Jr. Reveals His Most Embarrassing Moment That Left His Fans Disgraced

However, Dale Earnhardt Jr noticed a change in the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver. He confessed, “He sort of changed a little bit. Seems like he’s doing something. My question is, is that the difference maker in Denny becoming a champion or not.

“Him changing that mentality in his head that, ‘Instead of being run over, I’m going to do the running over. Instead of being a punching bag, I’m going to be the one swinging.’ It’s that change in mentality which is certainly a different style than we see from Denny. Will that make a difference this year.”

Denny Hamlin will be keen to get his championship challenge on track

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Last weekend at Pocono, Hamlin roared to his second win of the 2023 season. However, he managed to get his elbows out and defended fiercely from his rivals. Among them was Larson, in a move that mirrored the one that Hamlin performed on Ross Chastain, last year.

Hamlin and Chastain had been fierce rivals, and Hamlin made no secret of his dislike for Chastain’s aggression. To be honest, Chastain made all sorts of enemies last year, and there are too many to name. Coming back to Denny Hamlin. though, he will be eager to win his first title and get the monkey off his back at last.

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