If there’s any driver that has never won a NASCAR Cup championship but deserves to do so, it’s Denny Hamlin, according to Dale Earnhardt Jr., who made that bold statement on this week’s edition of the Dale Jr. Download podcast.
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“He’s at that age, at 44 years old, to where anybody with some sense would look at him and go, ‘Alright, when are we going to start to see it, right? When are we going to start to see Father Time catching up with him?’” Earnhardt said. “But it ain’t happening. He’s getting better. He’s an anomaly.
Earnhardt said that NASCAR’s history includes drivers like Harry Gant and Bobby Allison who were able to win races well into their 40s. He explained that such success comes from mental sharpness and the ability to adapt. He pointed out that while some of the series’ top drivers have struggled to figure out the current car, Hamlin has been able to do so.
Earnhardt added that he wanted to give Denny Hamlin full credit for his ability, noting that over his 21-year Cup career Hamlin had gone through multiple crew chiefs, different race cars, and various generations of cars, yet always managed to succeed. He added that regardless of the crew chief, the car, or the package, Hamlin found a way to get to the top and make it work, which Earnhardt found especially impressive.
That’s why Earnhardt is so adamant that Hamlin, who is currently enjoying one of the best seasons of his career as he closes in on 45 years old (he’ll turn 45 the week after the season ends), deserves to finally earn that elusive Cup crown this year.
“I think it’s so impressive and he deserves to win a championship,” Earnhardt said. “He deserves to know what that feels like. All the things that he’s had, all the wins, all the trophies in the house, all the things that he has in his memory of his career, he deserves to have a trophy.”
Hamlin has outlasted so many other JGR drivers
Joe Gibbs Racing has gone through so many drivers during its tenure, which Earnhardt says only makes Hamlin’s tenure with JGR so much more impressive.
“When I look at Joe Gibbs Racing, there’s one constant,” Earnhardt said. “There’s a lot of drivers that have came and went through that organization. There’s some that have won championships that would eventually be let go.
“I’m not talking about just Kyle Busch. Bobby Labonte won a championship with (JGR) and then just a few years later, they wanted to move on. But one thing that’s been a constant is Denny Hamlin.”
Earnhardt hopes Hamlin will finally get that Cup crown he’s fought for over 20 years yet always came up short. But at the same time, Earnhardt also has an air of worry about Hamlin.
“Man, would he be a unicorn if he were to have all of this and end it all without that title?” Earnhardt said. “By far, there’s no real comparison. Maybe Mark Martin.”
Or maybe also Junior himself.
