“King of Martinsville, you know that that’s Denny Hamlin.” Kevin Harvick, who himself owns one victory at the Paperclip, declared these words about his old rival. They make perfect sense, too. Last weekend, Hamlin fetched his sixth grandfather clock trophy. Until 2015, he used to pick up those like berries from a garden. But what allows the King to retain his crown is Hamlin’s resilience to excel despite the extraordinary odds.

We all know how things seemingly went topsy-turvy in the Joe Gibbs Racing fold. Ranging from sponsorship loss to crew chief shuffle, Denny Hamlin faced a lot of drastic changes. But that was hardly enough to topple the veteran’s unbeatable work ethic.

Kevin Harvick’s definition of a one-man army in NASCAR 

Needless to say, Denny Hamlin has a loyal team of people to support him. However, he has been like a one-man army in terms of timeline. He withstood two decades of constantly evolving racecars and rules in NASCAR. From the Car of Tomorrow to Next-Gen, Hamlin has never failed to put up his excellent streak. The 55-time Cup Series race winner is also involved with his own team, 23XI Racing. Being engaged with the NASCAR lawsuit, things have not been easy for Hamlin and Michael Jordan. Add Chris Gabehart moving into the competition director role in JGR and longtime sponsor FedEx leaving, and you have a solid recipe for stress. Yet somehow, Hamlin overcame all these challenges – to the awe of Kevin Harvick.

In a recent episode of ‘Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, ‘ the 2014 Cup Series champion applauded Hamlin. “The…thing that always amazes me with Denny is just how much he can manage. We all know about the lawsuit, we all know about 23XI, with everything that he does – to be able to add in that extra piece of having to start over with a new crew chief – that is a ton of work.”

Kevin Harvick compared his own career in Stewart-Haas Racing, which ended after the 2023 season. He claimed it was easier for him with little or no tumultuous changes that Denny Hamlin faced. “For me, I was fortunate because I had Rodney, Cheddar, and all the pieces on the 4 car that were intact. To be able to maintain that system all the way to the end, those guys rode it out to the end with me… Your routine in life builds around what the requirements are of your racing schedule and the race team to prepare for the race.” 

Then, there are the complications of the Next-Gen car. Introduced in 2022, this car presented fewer chances for passing, given the single-source spec parts. Kevin Harvick continued: “Next-Gen brings another layer of work. There’s a lot of work because the details are so small to be able to find an advantage. And for guys like myself and Denny – to retrain yourself how to drive these cars…it just takes a lot of time.” So, Harvick threw a challenge at Hamlin: “So it’ll be interesting to see if he can manage and maintain that level all season long now that they’ve got that first win.” 

With the incredible determination that Denny Hamlin adopts, taking up Kevin Harvick’s challenge should be a cakewalk. And Hamlin is making jaws drop within his team. But, the question is bigger: Is Hamlin staging his comeback?

Trending

1

Ex-NASCAR Champion & Motorsports Hall of Famer’s Death Leaves Racing World Mourning

2

NASCAR Fans Confused as Kyle Larson’s Insanity Forces Roger Penske to Bring the “Larson” Rule to IndyCar

3

NASCAR Rumor: Rick Hendrick Pulls Away Toyota Prospect As Dale Earnhardt Jr. Lets Slip Major Xfinity Update

4

Livid NASCAR Team Owner Publicly Shames Joe Gibbs’ Driver in Explosive Social Media Rant

5

Voices Being Raised Against FOX Broadcast as NASCAR Fans Declare ‘Rockbottom’ for Race Coverage

Hamlin’s chances getting stronger with every race

Next up on the schedule after Martinsville are two of Denny Hamlin’s strong points. Hamlin is the defending winner of the Bristol spring race and has led 256 laps over six Next-Gen races at Darlington. What is more, the 20-year veteran has not missed the Round of 8 since 2018. Under the current format of NASCAR, if you can make it that far, you can achieve anything.

What fuels this relentless drive for glory is Hamlin’s tireless work ethic. Despite dealing with several problems at once, Hamlin never lets himself rest. According to people around him, he has had to ramp up his training and preparation as the years have stacked up. “He works his rear end off,” Joe Gibbs said.

The person who showered praises on Denny Hamlin’s packed routine was his new crew chief, Chris Gayle. “I’m surprised at how hard he does work…We (Gayle and Hamlin) were texting last night; he was watching 2022 SMT data from here…I think he still has a drive and determination to win,” Gayle said.

He further added, “There are still goals left for him at this age. I think it’s no secret he [Hamlin] wants to get 60 wins. It’s one thing to talk about it, but I’m starting to see the amount of effort he puts in. He’s with us in the simulator six or seven days a week. He does it to help the team. I think that speaks to where his head is at this age.” Evidently, Denny Hamlin might just fulfill Kevin Harvick’s challenge. Let us wait and see what further magic the No. 11 team conjures.