Days after Publicly Slamming Joe Gibbs Racing’s Weakness, Denny Hamlin Has a Change of Heart After Ending Winless Slump

Last week’s Cup race at the Kansas Speedway was an epic thriller of a race. While rookie Gragson stole the show, igniting an intense fistfight after the race with Ross Chastain, it was Denny Hamlin who took the checkered in the end. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver, in a last-minute rally, came into the scene to inch out the #5 driver.

While Hendrick Motorsports fans disapproved of Hamlin‘s late bump-and-run win, the veteran driver happily racked up his first win of this season.

The 42-year-old followed his impressive 49th Cup Series win with yet another interesting podcast. Joining his co-host, Jared Allen, Hamlin dropped in at the studio to discuss his win. The driver took the time and effort to acknowledge the hard work of his team that paved the way for his victory.

After publically speaking of JGR’s weakness, Denny Hamlin takes a U-turn

This season so far has been full of rough patches for JGR. Even though the team managed to rack up wins with Martin Truex Jr in Dover and Christopher Bell in Bristol, Hamlin had been voicing his #11 team’s poor pit strategies. A few days ago, the driver came out on his podcast to mention the rough patch his team is in.

All racing enthusiasts agree on the importance of pit crews. And as per Denny Hamlin, the #11 car has been on the ropes owing to the team’s inefficiency. The veteran then went on to cite an example as he mentioned the incident at Richmond Raceway where the JGR pit crew lost a whopping 20 seconds!

Despite such situations, following his impressive run at Kansas, the community witnessed a grateful Hamlin in awe of his team. He said, “Yeah, bounce back week for us. I mean, when I say bounce back, we finished top 5 last week. But it was a tough day on pit road for us so, that’s no secret. I probably was pretty hard on guys publicly.

During the race, I don’t get on them too much. You know, I just say things like, ‘Let’s try to keep our track position.’ I don’t say, ‘F***ing morons’ or things like that.”

WATCH THIS STORY: Denny Hamlin rejects Bubba Wallace’s “Replacement” rant after being left astonished by his NASCAR driver’s unanticipated potential. 

Furthermore, Hamlin proudly expressed his joy as he went on to praise his team, “I’ve got a great young group that is really meshing and it just takes time and takes reps to be where you need to be. But man! Awesome day for them. They were super consistent all day; kept me in the battle and got us an opportunity to race for a win. So, fantastic day at Kansas.”

Hamlin’s 49th win brings another milestone for JGR!

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As the #11 Toyota Camry driver joined his friend Jared on the podcast, he also brought down the prestigious Kansas trophy to the studio. Relishing the fruits of his victory, Hamlin said that he slept like a baby after his win. The win has not only given a boost to his championship chances but also helped JGR cross another milestone.

Coming off the checkered flag as he inched out his friend and fellow driver Kyle Larson, Hamlin ended the 33-race winless drought that has been plaguing him. This was the veteran driver’s 4th win in Kansas.

Moreover after his teammate, Martin Truex Jr’s stellar performance in Dover, it was high time the #11 driver proved his mettle. Not only did he get the much-needed win for himself, but Hamlin also brought the 400th win (203 Cup Series and 197 Xfinity) for Joe Gibbs Racing.

READ MORE: Denny Hamlin Uses Billionaire NBA Team Owner’s Example to Emphasize the Criticality of Organizational Security: “No One From Outside Will Ever Invest”