Denny Hamlin Emerges as Retiring Icon Kevin Harvick’s Unlikely Replacement Amid Tony Stewart’s Heartbreak Season

Denny’s chances of landing a championship have constantly ended with a question mark for years. With Lady Luck preventing that from happening so far, the question still lingers in the minds of many. Many drivers, iconic cars, and tracks have come and gone, but his search for the elusive Cup Series championship continues. But that has not stopped him from growing as a person, a driver, and now as a team owner in the sport. Will 2023 finally be the year for Denny Hamlin?

In stark contrast to Hamlin lies another veteran, Kevin Harvick. The 47-year-old has been a pillar of consistency and experience in his sport. Even though his career’s dusk was anticipated, the announcement of his retirement at the end of 2023 had everyone reminiscing about his tenure as one of the greatest drivers of the past generation. Finding a replacement for him can be arduous for Stewart-Haas Racing owner Tony Stewart. However, regarding his value to NASCAR, Hamlin has stood out as a potential candidate.

Denny Hamlin is ready to take on the next step in his career

The difference is noticeable when looking at Denny Hamlin‘s evolution since his debut in 2005. From a rookie to one of the best drivers, he has gone from strength to strength and has continuously been touted as a championship contender year after year. The #11 driver solidified his status in NASCAR with his venture into ownership in 2021. Teaming up with NBA legend Michael Jordan, Denny created 23XI Racing, adding a new dimension to his profile.

Discussing how that could fare for Hamlin in the next phase of his career is the trio of Parker Kligerman, Kyle Petty, and Nate Ryan on NBC’s talk show Motorsports on NBC. An uncanny similarity between the departing Harvick being a voice of representation for drivers and their problems and Hamlin is where his role as an owner comes in. Being an owner brings a new vision into the 42-year-old’s mind that Kligerman highlights.

“There is the confidence factor which is such a powerful thing for race car drivers, but I think there’s another part of this that you look at his standing in the series as a team owner now, the podcast… I think all these things show that he’s sort of the leader of the drivers amongst NASCAR in a lot of ways.” claimed the Xfinity Series driver.

“He’s kind of taken this role of being the one to say you know, put his hand up and speak for the drivers and speak for the team owners and be very involved in this sport from a lot of different levels aside from just driving.”

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Looking at Hamlin’s growth, it is understandable where Kligerman’s stance is coming from. As the insightful conversation continued, he further elaborated on his opinion.

Kligerman believes Denny loves Chaos, and 2023 has been among his best years

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After his post-race declaration of war at Bristol, Denny Hamlin was subjected to a round of jeers from the crowd. Sections of the fanbase have already crowned him as the ‘heel’ of NASCAR, signaling his return as one of the most offending drivers.  However, beneath his insinuating antics lies his true nature as an asset to the community. Kligerman implies the same, as he built upon his statement, he said,

“I think he’s always said right, he loves chaos, he enjoys chaos. They succeed in chaos, but I think this is different than chaos. This is healthy. Not distractions but what areas to put your brain and focus on that are all you know encouraging you to be this person that has a lot of confidence in the sport because you know how every facet of it works.”

His two decades of experience in the top flight of stock-car racing have been reflected in the ways he gives back to the community. From imparting insights through Actions Detrimental to standing up for the issues drivers face, Hamlin is well on his way to becoming the next voice of the sport.

“You’re a part of a lot of different parts of it, and therefore, when you get into that mode of having to be a race car driver and be the best driver you can be, he’s ready for it. He has that clear mind to do it, so I think it’s always his year till it isn’t, and I think this might be one of the best years he’s had, the best chances he’s had in his entire career to finally go get that elusive championship,” added Parker Kligerman, revealing that 2023 might be the year where the drought ends.

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Winning a championship will put his legacy on par with Harvick’s. Even though Tony Stewart will have a hard time replacing his sole driver to qualify for the playoffs, Hamlin could be the one to step on the pedestal in the coming years.