The Next-Gen cars’ predecessors had some wild predecessors. The main difference was horsepower. NASCAR back in the day heralded race cars that spewed immense power and displayed tremendous speeds. The Car of Tomorrow was special in this regard – despite its immaculate safety precautions, this car left drivers shaken after every run because of their beast-like behavior on the track.

So once Denny Hamlin missed out on a Darlington race as his qualifying efforts got wrecked. The DNQ makes people wonder even now, as Hamlin inexplicably crashed into the wall. However, his Cup Series rival Brad Keselowski comes to his rescue.

Denny Hamlin gets support for his past failure

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is, anyway, known as the black hat of NASCAR. So despite his stellar resume of 54 Cup Series wins, Denny Hamlin entertains a huge base of haters who go at him. Now a qualifying race way back in 2008 surfaced on social media, where Hamlin seemed to be a solid contender as the pole-sitter. He had won the pole in the last two Nationwide Series races at Darlington Raceway (2006, 2007) and looked to clinch his third straight pole.

However, his No. 18 JGR car smacked the wall, sending off sparks, and slowing down on ‘The Lady in Black.’ Recently, a NASCAR expert shared the video of that wreck, highlighting Denny Hamlin’s forgotten DNQ. Yet Brad Keselowski came up, defending Hamlin’s run and explaining the Car of Tomorrow’s savage make. “No hate for Denny here. This was a different era, these cars were absolute beasts to drive. I remember multiple qualifying sessions where 10+ cars would crash. The drivers would literally get out of the cars shaking.”

“I’d say 50 out of 330m Americans could drive these cars. Tops,” Keselowski added. The Gen 5 cars were known for their significant safety enhancements and return to symmetrical bodies. They featured large rear wings and prominent front splitters under the bumpers, which earned them a reputation for being ‘ugly’. Yet nobody doubted their fierce nature. Even Dale Earnhardt Jr commented on Keselowski’s post: “If I was nervous before a race (and I always was) I would say multiply that by 10 for each qualifying session. Atlanta or Texas 2008 was wild times.”

Even though Denny Hamlin could not run the 2008 Darlington race, he roared back in 2010.

Hamlin conquered the car two years later

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In 2008, Denny Hamlin missed his third consecutive pole due to a slide against the wall. That lent former race car driver Mike Harmon the opportunity to start at the pole. However, as is Hamlin’s tendency to never let go of a challenge easily, he was victorious in 2010. The Car of Tomorrow was still in use then, so the JGR driver learned the tricks to maneuver it well. Hamlin started from the pole and led for 111 laps in the race. However, the road was not so easy.

Denny Hamlin engaged in a side-by-side drag race with teammate Kyle Busch on the last restart. Busch moved about half a car length up front, looking as though he would prevail. Yet Hamlin did not let go easily and quickly regained the lead with five laps left. It marked Hamlin’s 10th Nationwide win in 121 starts. His qualifying run was as successful as his race victory, unlike his 2008 fortune, as Denny Hamlin took advantage of the clean air out front to stay there.

Although the Car of Tomorrow is merely an object of lore, it holds some fascinating stories. NASCAR’s gems like Denny Hamlin or Brad Keselowski fondly remember their chaotic ventures in that car.