“One That Chaps Me the Most”- Denny Hamlin Confesses Feeling Jealous of Underdog Veteran

When can a NASCAR driver say that he has had enough victories? Does one have to reach the heights of Jimmie Johnson and seize seven Cup Series championships, or does one have to have the 93-win record of Jeff Gordon? Well, the answer is surely endless and multifaceted. Moreover, with the victory of Michael McDowell, the outlook toward success has surely evolved.

Front Row Motorsports and the No. 34 Ford driver are undoubtedly veteran drivers on the NASCAR grid. However, unlike most veteran Cup Series drivers, Michael McDowell has only two victories and zero championships, but his recent victory on the track of Indianapolis Motor Speedway has posited him in an elite club of drivers. A position that is revered and that many envy, including Denny Hamlin. Well, this assertion arises from the latest exclamation by the driver on his podcast.

Denny Hamlin reveals his jealousy toward Michael McDowell

Before delving deep, there is a point of commonality between Michael McDowell and Cup Series champions like Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, and Kevin Harvick. Well, the answer is surely perceptible to an avid NASCAR fan, and it is that all these drivers have won both the Crown Jewel races of NASCAR at Daytona and Indianapolis, with McDowell being the latest addition.

The revelation is surely not a surprising one, but it is worthy of recognition. Although in the twilight of his career, the FRM driver on the track of IMS proved that he still has a long way to go and many victories, perhaps a championship, to win. Furthermore, the driver was able to put up a brave fight with the superior Chevys and Toyotas, hold off the whole field till the last drop, and secure the second win. A victory that many pried for but faltered, one of them being Denny Hamlin.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin, who notched his 50th win at Pocono and is also a 3x Daytona 500 winner, revealed in the latest episode of Actions Detrimental what makes him fall short of Indianapolis winner Michael McDowell, who joined him in the latest episode as a guest.

Speaking on McDowell’s victory, revealed, “Winning the Daytona 500 just a few years ago, and now you are here with the Indy Brick. I know I have never won at Indy and that chaps me the most, my career actually. I am very jealous of that.”

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Michael McDowell shuts the speculations on his Cinderella win

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The win is surely a source of jealousy to many drivers who aspire to earn victories at those crown jewel races and also earn more than one championship. Nevertheless, McDowell did have to face the question of whether the victory was due to utter luck and was a part of a Cinderella story, in the post-race interview.

To this, the driver replied, “Absolutely not. I think we’ve been the fastest road course car since this Next-Gen car over the average of it, and I think statistically it’ll show that. I think if you just look at the average finish and you look at average running position, we’ve been a top 5 car every single road course race since this Next-Gen car has come in.”

“Is it a Cinderella story from a lot of different aspects? Maybe. But off of pure performance, like I feel like we’ve been nailing it and having a shot at it. But I also look at it as like, we’re going up against some really big teams with a lot of resources, and to do what we did today is pretty awesome.”

Nevertheless, the FRM driver still has a long road to traverse before he can hang his helmet. With the clinching of a playoff spot, McDowell has surely found the impetus of changing the tidings of his career and vie for a championship.

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