“I Know Exactly What He’s Feeling”: Denny Hamlin on Brad Keselowski’s Current Bittersweet State in NASCAR

Being a team owner in the NASCAR Cup Series is not without the constant pressures of managing and growing the team. However, the pressure increases when you happen to be driving in the series along with your team. Such is the case of Brad Keselowski. Over the duration of the season, he has not been able to score a single win across the board. Meanwhile, his own team’s second car has been making headlines with their consecutive gains among the playoff points board.

Recently, while speaking about the conflicting state of mind of NASCAR drivers who race and have their own teams as well, Denny Hamlin stated how he completely understood the conflicting feelings that Keselowski might have been going through.

Since Hamlin also owns a racing team in the form of 23XI Racing, mentions how he knows exactly what would have been going through the RFK owner driver’s mind at the moment.

Denny Hamlin understands Brad Keselowski’s feelings as a team owner

During an episode of Actions Detrimental, Hamlin’s co-host Jared Allen mentioned, “I’m curious from an owner’s perspective, what it means or what you think it means to Brad. That his team probably is the best forward team right now to come in and revitalize that whole RFK organization and now to top Penske and top SHR…”

The JGR driver responded, “I understand the feeling when he gets out of a car. I know exactly what he’s feeling. Now the only difference is he’s driving for the team that he’s a part owner of. Where I on Sunday directly compete against the team that me and Michael (Jordan) own.”

“So I think that I understand the conflicting probably feelings he has inside of him… The car I just am driving one you know he’s won two weeks in a row. I have been right there with him. What do we need to do to execute better or get better track position or whatever it might be to win? Because I know Brad’s still got the fire in him to want to win.”

“But then, you know, 20 minutes later, he’s probably very, very excited for his racing. So I think that yeah, I certainly respect the work that that team is putting in to get better. I heard NBC talking during I believe it was practice. Saying, the next step and how you get better is more manufacturer support. And I believe that as well as that, then you can use that to, you know, make financial decisions on resources of how you need to take the next step. So, I certainly think that they’re doing a fantastic job…”

Brad Keselowski remains winless while his teammate scores back-to-back wins

The mood is a bit bittersweet at the moment for Keselowski. On one hand, he might have been elated to see his teammate, Chris Buescher, win two consecutive races, since he is the co-owner of the team. But on the other hand, the fact that he has not been able to win a single race yet in the same machinery would have dampened his spirits as a driver himself.

Both of the races at Richmond and Michigan were taken by Buescher, cementing one RFK car in the playoffs. Meanwhile, with the points tally alone, Keselowski too is within the playoff cut-off. But if by any chance there are two different winners in the next three races, his chances of remaining in that spot would diminish severely.

Therefore, it becomes crucial for the RFK driver owner to attempt to either finish ahead of his fellow winless competitors or grab a win himself in the next two road courses or the regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway.