Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Ex-Crew Chief Speculates ‘Distractions’ Will Prevent Denny Hamlin from Winning the NASCAR Title

Denny Hamlin is currently 41 years old and has enjoyed a 17-year career, going on 18. However, in that time, he has failed to win a NASCAR Cup Series title. The 2022 Cup season is his latest attempt to try to get the monkey off his back. However, Dale Earnhardt Jr’s former crew chief Steve Letarte does not believe it will happen.

When asked about Hamlin’s chances, he said, “It is unfortunate to say, but I think the answer for Denny Hamlin is no. This isn’t the year for a championship, only because he has yet to win one as an owner. He now has two cars, the distractions are bigger. He may prove me wrong, I hope he does, he deserves a championship… I just don’t see how you can, at this point, say anyone is going to win the championship. It’s hard enough to pick who’s going to be in the championship 4.”

Can Denny Hamlin prove Letarte wrong?

It isn’t for the lack of trying though, as Hamlin has 46 career wins and 305 Top 10 finishes to his name. The Joe Gibbs Racing team is also one of the top teams in the Cup Series. He has also proven that age is just a number and racked up wins all throughout his career. In all honesty, the #11 driver has the capability of winning the championship, but he needs to go that extra mile.

Letarte does have a point, because there is a chance that Hamlin’s attention will be split. Because he will have to choose between focusing on his own career and 23XI Racing’s progress. Last year, he only had himself and Bubba Wallace to worry about. This year, Kurt Busch has been added to the equation, which makes it three cars to track. At least Brad Keselowski is racing for his own team, so the pressure may not be so bad. Hamlin, on the other hand, does not have that luxury.

READ MORE: Denny Hamlin Has a Polarizing Response to Jeff Gordon’s Recent Comments About Turning NASCAR Drivers Into ‘Stars’