The Olympics is arguably the most prestigious event in the world when it comes to sporting events. Yet, motorsports aren’t something that usually finds its way into the roster of sports that athletes compete for. But it wouldn’t hurt to dream up what would happen if there were motorsports series included in the Olympics as well, motorsports like NASCAR.
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Because recently, NBC tried exactly that. With the power of Chat GPT, they asked the tool to generate who would be the best candidates for a fictional NASCAR Olympic team for the 2024 games. The result may have surprised a few fans, who then expressed their feelings on social media.
Chat CPT had generated four names of drivers who would work as a 4 man relay team. The list included Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Blaney, and Kyle Larson. While fans did not object to having Blaney and Larson, they weren’t too pleased to have the seven-time Cup Series champion and the JGR driver on board.
Fans against Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson inclusion in NASCAR Olympics
After the NASCAR Olympic team was predicted, the fictional one, the fans made their intentions clear over social media, regarding the choice of Johnson and Hamlin. They even went on to suggest alternatives ranging from Kyle Busch to William Byron to complete the team.
One enthusiast voiced his opinion, stating, “Not Hamlin.” Another chimed in, asserting, “I’d replace J.J. with Kyle and Denny with a Willy B.” A third supporter made a strong point, commenting, “Remove Denny and you have a team.” Adding to the diverse views, a different admirer proclaimed, “Jimmy is washed. Replace with Kyle Busch and yes.”
Denny would choke out at the end…just like always!
— The 5 Car (@HMSCar5) June 8, 2023
Rounding out the conversation, a fifth enthusiast contributed his perspective, suggesting, “Replace Johnson with Kyle Busch replace Blaney with Logano and you have a squad. Hell replace Denny with MTJ so they can win the championship.”
Despite their achievements, just why are fans against having Hamlin or Johnson?
There is no doubt both are supremely good drivers with one of them having 7 Cup championships to his name. Still, fans did not make him the popular choice for such a thing as an Olympics lineup. And the answer to why that wasn’t the case may lie in how the two drivers have been performing lately.
Ever since Johnson rejoined the NASCAR grid this season, there had been a lot of hype surrounding the NASCAR icon. However, the expectations and hype fell short after taking a look at his performance on the racetrack. He wasn’t the same JJ during his peak form a couple of years ago. Moreover, he also had not been able to perform well in most of the races this season as well.
Meanwhile, for Hamlin, well, he treads on a thin line between fans, mostly thanks to his personality. Either the fans like him or they absolutely do not. Hence, seeing their names on the list, made the fans suggest the exclusion of these two drivers.
Perhaps for the better, considering others like Busch would actually have a better chance at succeeding at a high-pressure task like racing in the Olympics.
