There are several aspects and nuances to driving a car fast, especially in top-tier motorsport competitions such as the NASCAR Cup Series. Long-time Joe Gibbs Racing driver and current team owner in the sport, Denny Hamlin recently broke down what he thinks makes an ideal racecar driver and how one goes on to achieve the same.
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The 43-year-old touched on how driving a car fast in the current day and age revolves around several key skills a driver must possess. Skills such as drafting well on Superspeedway-style tracks to clever racecraft on the tight road and street courses make what is a well-rounded athlete behind the wheel.
He elaborated on his thought process by taking the example of one of basketball’s greatest players of all time, Michael Jordan.
“When Michael Jordan was at his peak, he was never the best shooter. There was always someone who was a better shooter. But he was a really good shooter and a really good defender. There was a better passer in the league than him. So there are different facets of being a good race car driver that go well beyond just the results,” Hamlin told The Athletic.
Hamlin currently owns 23XI Racing, one of the fastest-growing Cup Series teams in NASCAR alongside Jordan. The team fields Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace full-time during the season. Hamlin went as far as to accept that one of the drivers he employs has specific abilities better than the Virginia native himself.
He touched on how Reddick trumps him when it comes to racing in the rain or on road courses and said, “Road course racing was one thing, and now it’s wet weather racing. I’ve got to continue to raise my rankings in those areas to remain an overall good player in this league.”
It's been a standout year for @TylerReddick.
– 11 top-five finishes.
– 17 top-10 finishes.He leads the Cup Series in both categories. pic.twitter.com/cFWyFy85lQ
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 19, 2024
Ultimately it all comes down to how well-rounded a driver in any genre of motorsport or any facet of sports in general can be. Take Australian V8 Supercars sensation Shane van Gisbergen’s example. The Kiwi driver currently competing full-time in the junior Xfinity Series has been more or less under the radar in terms of results on superspeedways.
That was a tough race, had problems with the car being too loose. The @SafetyCultureHQ team worked on it all night trying to get it more comfortable but then got caught up in a wreck there at the end. Get another shot at it tomorrow in the Cup car! 😀 pic.twitter.com/Nn4W0eNye7
— Shane van Gisbergen (@shanevg97) August 24, 2024
However, the Supercars champion has dominated road course races throughout his stint, chief among them being his debut victory in the sport on NASCAR’s inaugural visit to the streets of Chicago, a genre of racing all too familiar to SVG courtesy of his Australian racing roots.
As the sport rounds off its 2024 regular season with two races to go, it remains to be seen if Hamlin can sharpen up on his Superspeedway skills with the upcoming race at Daytona International Speedway. The #11 Toyota driver has comfortably qualified for the playoffs this season, hoping to challenge for the elusive championship title.
