Can you imagine that the undisputed villain of NASCAR, Denny Hamlin, could also show a down-to-earth side? As a person who is typically self-assured in his potential, he is not the kind to be fazed by criticism. But in the days preceding the race at Bristol Raceway, we got a glimpse of his humility, especially when it comes to his team 23XI Racing. Recently, Hamlin made a public statement in which he referred to himself as one of the “Lower Talented” in comparison to the brilliance of his team and teammates.

Denny Hamlin tries to learn from his 23XI drivers

While preparing for his 652nd Cup Series race at Bristol Raceway, Denny Hamlin is more than just another driver of Joe Gibbs Racing. Amid all the chatter about horsepower debates, his recent down-to-earth response about his team left everyone surprised. During a pre-race interview in Bristol, the #11 driver humbly shared how he is evolving on the road courses, where he positively talked about his team’s brilliance.

The reporter’s question regarding his evolution was prompted by his earlier acknowledgment of Tyler Reddick’s outstanding performance at 23XI Racing as a catalyst for his urge to keep improving. He credited the Toyota family and highlighted how he’s benefited from their expertise in road course driving. The 42-year-old said, “I think there’s been a lot of factors. I think that, you know, this is kind of the benefit of having, you know, one of the stronger road course drivers in the Toyota family. I think that there’s many other Toyota drivers that are up and coming that are gonna be challengers as well, and I just use any information I can to try to get better.”

He went on to say, “I know I’m one of the lower, lower talented guys on the, on the road courses. So I just try to do everything I can to learn from them and use all the resources I have.” Even though he’s been driving for a long time and has plenty of experience under his belt, this modest confession shows that Hamlin is still ready to learn and improve his craft.

However, this admission doesn’t dampen his spirited debating attitude about the ongoing discussion on “more horsepower”. He seemed much more adamant than before, suggesting that NASCAR might have no other option than boosting car horsepower from 670 to 750.

Denny Hamlin continues to advocate for adding more horsepower in Next-Gen cars

For a long time, NASCAR drivers have been pushing for more horsepower, thinking it would enhance racing and make it more exciting. Denny Hamlin, co-owner of 23XI Racing, was upset that NASCAR wasn’t increasing horsepower, given that the organization was trying to cut costs rather than thinking from fans’ and drivers’ perspectives. Though NASCAR considered a few different adjustments like gear ratio changes, Hamlin remained adamant in his belief that more power is the key to better racing.

When journalist Matt Weaver recently asked about other options, Hamlin reiterated that more power was needed.

As the debates continue, the question still stands: Should NASCAR increase horsepower to improve competition and profitability? Hamlin’s position implied that it should be. Well, everyone is surely looking forward to whether NASCAR makes any changes to the horsepower of their cars soon.

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