Denny Hamlin kicked off his 2024 Cup Series campaign on a strong note collecting three victories. However, he slowed down over the summer and produced a string of subpar results not worthy of his caliber. Currently fourth on the points table and still in contention for the regular season championship, he hopes to reset during the two-week Olympic break and come back stronger.
Advertisement
He told the press in Nashville back in June that he was going on a vacation with his family during the break. He expressed that he enjoyed watching any sport as long as it had a “racing” element to it and added, “For sport, track and field is the most exciting as it’s racing. Yeah, I really enjoy that. Certainly, I’ll watch basketball and things like that. But, to me, track and field, and obviously swimming.”
View this post on Instagram
This break from racing could revitalize the Joe Gibbs Racing star as he prepares for a seething battle against the likes of Kyle Larson. One worry that he might have on his mind at this time is NASCAR’s ranking of dominant drivers in the season’s first 22 races. The sanctioning body crafted the list according to the Adjusted Points Index and put him in a lowly sixth place.
Drivers including Tyler Reddick and Christopher Bell were placed ahead of him. Hamlin’s purpose in 2024 is more well-defined than anyone else’s, with the Virginia native chasing the elusive Cup Series title throughout his career. He has a few years of full-time racing left ahead of him which increases the importance of his performances every week. Hopefully, he gets to use the break to his advantage. Another front that demands his attention is 23XI Racing.
Hamlin wants 23XI Racing employees to take time off from work
Hamlin‘s responsibilities stretch beyond the race car as a co-owner of 23XI Racing. With fellow owners like Brad Keselowski providing time off for their employees, he has been inclined to do the same. He noted how the ongoing stretch was one of the toughest ones for crew members and that they would do well by taking some time off to reset themselves.
“To me, this is the toughest stretch,” he said. “June, July, our schedule is the absolute worst for the teams, because there are very short weeks where they don’t get the car back until late Monday, have to turn it around and have it ready by Thursday, so it’s tough.” 23XI Racing members already benefit from being utilized on a rotational basis. An added time off would certainly help boost morale.
The team has also announced its part-time #50 entry returning for a final time this year after the break comes to an end. With a teaser video stirring up fan interest as to which driver will be behind the wheel of the car, the team needs to be revitalized heading into final few races of the regular season.
