Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson have had several moments on track but the former’s idea of a successful driver perfectly fits the latter’s career. The two race car drivers are among the best in NASCAR today and have often been competitive whilst also being aggressive toward one another.
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Tempers flared between the two as recently as the Nashville race earlier this season when the #5 car seemed to drive the #11 car up the track at the end of stage 2. Hamlin responded by repeatedly bumping into Larson immediately afterward.
That’s not the only instance. Yung Money did not like how the Joe Gibbs Racing driver had raced him last year at Pocono. He stated that he deserved to be competed against with respect in the post-race interview.
Despite all that, the #11 driver’s assessment of what it takes to be an all-around successful driver in today’s world fits Larson. He said that versatility plays a key role and that’s exactly what the Hendrick Motorsports driver has been throughout his career so far.
“Being competitive in different kinds of cars, different kinds of tracks, just being very versatile in your craft. There’s always been guys who are really particularly good at certain types of tracks. Like the drafting tracks is their thing, and that’s where they can win. But being versatile and being able to win everywhere, that’s someone who is typically successful,” he told The Athletic.
Despite their on-track altercations, Hamlin cleared up earlier this year that there was no beef between the pair off the track. Both are competitive race car drivers running for a championship win. Hence, things can get aggressive in such scenarios.
Larson believes that he is better than Max Verstappen
Versatility is not the only thing that makes a successful race car driver, confidence has a big part to play in that as well. Larson has that in abundance, considering his success in multi-disciplinary racing. Be it sprint cars, late models, midgets, or stock cars, Larson has experienced success in one way or the other. He even raced in IndyCar at this year’s Indy500.
Taking all of his achievements into consideration, Yung Money is confident in his ability to best three-time Formula One world champion Max Verstappen.
“There’s no way (Verstappen) can get into a Sprint Car and win the Knoxville Nationals. There’s no way he can go win the Chili Bowl. There’s no way he can go win a Cup race at Bristol,” he had said in an earlier media interaction. “Maybe not in an open-wheel IndyCar or Formula 1 car, but that’s one discipline. I think I would beat him in everything else. You can quote that.”
The motorsports world would love to see a race between the two drivers. Verstappen has been close to untouchable in the last three years, winning 51 out of the last 80 races. Yung Money, on the other hand, does not have that kind of a record in any sport he has competed in. But considering how adaptable the HMS driver is it would sure be a sight to witness if these two ever decided to challenge each other.
