
via Getty
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 06: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota, is seen on the grid prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on February 06, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

via Getty
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 06: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota, is seen on the grid prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on February 06, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
While NASCAR fans have enjoyed the racing caused directly by the introduction of the Next Gen car this season, on the other side of the fence, the team owners haven’t had the same blissful experience as fans. In fact, it’s quite a nightmare on many fronts for teams, the biggest problem of which, or rather the root problem of which, is the supply issue. Driver and co-owner Denny Hamlin recently touched upon the “tough spot” they find themselves in.
Ahead of his home race in Richmond, the 23XI Racing co-owner was quizzed about whether he’s worried about burnout for his team considering the long season that is still ahead of them.
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“I’m not sure what we can do about it,” Hamlin said. “We have to work extreme hours because we don’t have, we have to wait on parts. Like my crew chief told me on the plane this morning, ‘Don’t tear the splitter up.’ Like we have legitimate concerns. We don’t have a splitter for Martinsville.”
Read More: Who the H*ll Is Danny Hamlin?” – Denny Hamlin Was Absolutely Mortified When His Name Was Spelt Wrong
“How do you do that in a race? There’s just a really, the short supply is causing extended hours, and eventually people just, I think I saw stuff on Twitter yesterday that it’s like, teams are losing a lot of people just because of workload, and eventually it becomes a problem,” the Joe Gibbs Racing driver continued.
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“We can’t afford to pay them more. I mean we’re trying to do everything we can to tread water right now so it’s just a tough position we’re in. The supply chain is just not coming through to us as good as it needs to.”
Denny Hamlin looking for the breakthrough to “build off of” in Richmond
‘Disappointing,’ will be the aptest word one can use to describe the season Denny Hamlin has had so far. However, now in Richmond, the JGR driver admitted that they are trying to find “that point” as a team. He said. “We are decent, but we are not where we have been for the last three years.”
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USA Today via Reuters
Mar 13, 2022; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin (11) leads a group during the Ruoff Mortgage 500 at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
“We are trying to find that point where we are good, and we can build off of that,” Denny Hamlin added.
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