Denny Hamlin criticizes detractors of Austin Dillon, arguing that the RCR driver does not deserve so much criticism.

Denny Hamlin believes that Austin Dillon is currently facing a tough period in his career. Dillon, who races for his family team, Richard Childress Racing, has been competing full-time since 2014. Despite winning championships in the Trucks and Xfinity series, Dillon has had limited success in the NASCAR main category, with only four victories. This, coupled with his underwhelming performance in the iconic number 3 car, has led to a negative reception from fans. However, Hamlin, who has been following Dillon’s career from the beginning, believes he is just going through a rough patch. This has resulted in Dillon starting races in unfavorable positions and facing numerous retirements, making him the driver with the most retirements in the Next-Gen era. Hamlin acknowledges Dillon’s talent and competitiveness, noting that he is just as determined as he is to achieve the best results on the track. The difficulties faced by Dillon can also be attributed to the struggles RCR has had in finding consistent setups for the Next-Gen cars, resulting in lack of speed and unfortunate circumstances for Dillon.