While Chase Elliott has been the majority’s pick for NASCAR’s most popular driver award for many years now, perhaps it’s time that someone else takes that crown for him, someone who goes by the name of Denny Hamlin. This was an opinion shared by veteran NASCAR spotter Brett Griffin.
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After Hamlin and Marcus Smith’s online boxing match against each other on X, Griffin claimed that the Joe Gibbs Racing driver should be the sport’s most popular driver, considering he’s got it all. “Denny should win most popular driver. No one gives you more these days. On the track, Netflix, podcast, Twitter access,” Griffin wrote.
“what more could you want from a driver?”
Denny should win most popular driver. No one gives you more these days. On the track, Netflix, podcast, Twitter access….. what more could you want from a driver?
— Brett Griffin (@SpotterBrett) April 5, 2024
Denny Hamlin wants NASCAR to have more star power, but not the Hendrick Motorsports way
Last season, Jeff Gordon commented that while he has no issues with Denny Hamlin’s antics and behavior in NASCAR, he wouldn’t want his drivers at Hendrick Motorsports to follow the same route. Of course, this didn’t sit well with Denny Hamlin, not only in the sense of Gordon’s comments being against him but also in a broader sense of Gordon not recognizing what the sport really needs.
“That sounds like a guy that I don’t want to go to war with. Like, I’ll go to war, but you get upfront. I mean, Jeff Gordon said that? I mean, that is, how to stunt NASCAR growth 101,” Hamlin said. “He wants me to sit back? He’s not — he’s saying he likes it, but he thinks it’s a distraction if it was on his team. Thank God I don’t drive for him.”
The #11 driver claimed that he couldn’t disagree more with Jeff Gordon’s take and that he’s glad he drives for Joe Gibbs Racing and not Hendrick Motorsports. “I’m glad I run my team the way I run my team, because I will never run my team saying things like that,” he continued.
