“Can Take Its Toll on You”: Denny Hamlin on the Physical Challenges of NASCAR Racing

Denny Hamlin has been a part of NASCAR for more than two decades and is currently in the twilight years of his career. You wouldn’t know that if you saw him race and fight for championships. However, years of competitive racing have taken a toll on his physical well-being and the veteran isn’t shy to admit it.

This doesn’t mean that he will retire any time soon but it shows how physical motorsports can be. The 43-year-old is motivated by his desire to become a Cup Series champion at least once in his career. However, he has been facing issues with his lower back. He can’t even walk straight until a couple of days after a race weekend.

“It is just different for all of us,” he said in a recent media interaction. “For me, it is more taxing on the physical side than it is on the mental side, but for others, it probably flip-flops. When you consume yourself with it so much, it certainly can take its toll on you, but there are other people that would race seven days a week if they could.”

Hamlin goes into the Round of 8 below the elimination line so he will need a good race in Las Vegas. The veteran won at the track in 2021 and has six finishes inside the top five. He will hope to make it seven when the checkered flag falls on Sunday but it won’t be an easy task.

Dale Jr’s interesting take on whether NASCAR drivers are athletes

The debate over whether motorsports athletes are real athletes has raged on for years now. Formula One drivers are considered athletes due to the massive amounts of G-forces they have to deal with every time they race but that’s not the case for NASCAR drivers. A lot of them don’t even have an athletic build.

Two-time Xfinity Series champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. had an interesting take on the matter in an episode of Dale Jr. Download. “There might be other drivers that physically don’t have themselves in the best shape, they’re not as concerned about what they’re putting in their body,” he said.

“Would I call that individual an athlete? Probably not. Can you be an athlete and a great race car driver? You can… Can you be a great race car driver and not be athletic? Yes.” Whether NASCAR drivers are considered athletes or not, it cannot be denied that driving at such high speeds every single week for several months has a significant physical toll.

Unlike F1, these drivers usually don’t get a break in the middle of a season. So, while it might not seem that taxing, the physical effort it requires to run each race adds up at the end of a season.