“Denny Hamlin Said Best” – Dale Earnhardt Jr Responds to Corey LaJoie’s Claim That Daytona 500 Takes “Zero Driving Talent”

Luck or talent? A debate that has been going on for ages. However, when it comes to the momentous Daytona 500, it is true that the winner needs to strike the perfect balance between luck and talent. This year’s race was a perfect example of this.

However, even before the start of the Daytona 500, NASCAR drivers and podcasters Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Corey LaJoie shared their thoughts on the concept of winning and luck at Daytona. Deriving from their experiences, the drivers put forth their own theories to decode the success recipe for the Great American Race.

Dale Earnhardt Jr has a mature take on Daytona 500

In a recent episode of the Dale Jr. Download, Dale Earnhardt Jr asked seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson what would have him smiling at Daytona on Sunday. To this, Johnson replied that winning would definitely make him smile.

However, it seemed like Johnson’s answer reminded Earnhardt of Corey LaJoie’s theory about Daytona 500 and Denny Hamlin‘s answer to it. While talking about how one might not be lucky every time, Earnhardt Jr said that he feels there is more to the race than just winning. He stated,

“Denny Hamlin said best this week. You’ll luck in one. But you won’t luck into two, you won’t luck into three. You have the ability, the knowledge everything that you need in terms of the mental attitude to start to racing and everything to get going. But you know, outside of a win, what is going to make you happy?”

READ MORE: Denny Hamlin Declares That NASCAR Fans Are “Going to See Different Type of Racing” in This Year’s Daytona 500

Why Corey LaJoie thinks it needs ‘zero driving talent’ to win Daytona 500

In a recent conversation on the Stacking Pennies podcast, Corey LaJoie threw in a truth bomb claiming that winning the Daytona 500 has nothing to do with talent. While talking about his observation over the years, LaJoie said,

“I happen to see Alex Bowman who’s going for his sixth straight front-row start in the 500. Like Alex, you’re obviously pretty good at this. Even though takes literally zero driving talent. Not like 1%, like zero.”

Furthermore, he explained what according to him actually contributes to a successful run at Daytona. He said,

“It really truly is about how trimmed out your car is and how much how many horses are hooked up to the front of the thing to make it grip to the wind.”

Although not everyone might agree with LaJoie on this, it is true that talent is not the only factor when it comes to Daytona. After all, there has to be a reason why a great driver like Dale Earnhardt Sr was able to register a Daytona 500 victory on his 20th attempt.

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