Through the 2023 season, several drivers have shown the prospects of gunning for the title. However, through the first three races, there have been two who have looked to carry some momentum into the playoffs – Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson.
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While Hamlin did win two races in the regular season and one in the postseason, his consistency and overall performance have been indicative of a strong championship challenge against the likes of Kyle Larson and several others.
The JGR driver’s on-track runs have undergone a significant transformation compared to the year prior. This has helped him become a strong contender for the championship. Recently, when asked about the unique element that has contributed to his evolution, Hamlin pointed to one thing in particular.
Denny Hamlin reveals the one thing that evolved him this season
Speaking with the members of the press ahead of the race at Texas Motor Speedway, a journalist asked Hamlin if there was anything specific towards his success this season. Right after Hamlin responded, “No there’s not one specific, other than I think the pit crew stuff has been a lot more solid this year.”
“Last couple of years… We have had some pit road struggles that took us out of a lot of races we were contending for wins.”
Just recently, Hamlin had to let go of a potential win at Darlington Raceway when he came in for an extra stop, suspecting he had a loose wheel. But still, an incident like this one was a one-off case this season, compared to how many times such small mistakes would prove to be a hindrance for the #11 car in the seasons prior. “But I feel like this year, in particular, that department in general at JGR has gotten significantly better,” said the 23XI Racing team owner.
Hamlin explains the changes in the pit crew departments that helped them out
Hamlin further shed light on a few things that his pit crew had been working on in order to improve their efficiency. He mentioned, “For whatever reason, whether it just be experience or we switched choreography from one style to the other.”
Hamlin explained that those changes took them a certain amount of time to place them back into a proper rhythm. Further adding, “But it kind of now seems like we are all hitting our strides at the same time.”
Their hard work seems to be paying off for the team as they inch towards the next round of eliminations. If their strategy and changes hold up through the remaining few races ahead of the finale, we might get to see Hamlin finally get the opportunity to gun for his long-awaited championship trophy at Phoenix Raceway.
