Denny Hamlin has been vocal about the issues with the Next-Gen cars.
Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch (Credits: IMAGO)
The race at Talladega had surprises at every turn, especially on the straights. The drivers were stuck in a vacuum train, which made the race quite monotonous, especially for Hamlin. The former Cup series champion was disappointed with his 27th place after being in the front group for a long time and blamed the slow cars. His former teammate, Busch, now agrees with him.
The race at Talladega was different from previous races. The Super Speedway lacked excitement for most of the race, as the drivers formed trains and no one wanted to be the first car to lead the group. This created a unique situation in Alabama, as drivers who tried to overtake the leaders ended up falling back due to increased drag, which pushed them to the back of the pack. This motivated others to stay behind the leaders.
This affected Kyle Busch when he tried to make a move for the front positions, but was dragged by his car and quickly fell behind. This led him to express his frustration, and Denny Hamlin stated that he completely agreed with the former champion’s frustration.
Riding in line = finishing where you are. Trying to race to win = finishing last. I hate these 🤬 cars!!!
Subsequently, the JGR driver criticized the NextGen cars for their large spoilers and aerodynamic entrances, which made it difficult to race on tracks. Additionally, he explained that leaving the line or vacuum position would ruin anyone’s race, discouraging drivers from making bold maneuvers during high-speed chaos.
The race at Talladega was an emotional rollercoaster for Hamlin. The 43-year-old driver retired from the race after colliding with his Toyota teammates, nullifying his efforts. On the other hand, Busch won the race with the 23XI Racing team, owned by Hamlin, bringing a smile to Hamlin’s face. As a result, after seeing his own team perform well, the No.11 driver is determined to win at Dover this weekend.
Over the years, Hamlin has only won the gold medal at Dover once. However, after the race at Talladega, he predicts that he will win at Dover and add another trophy to his collection this weekend.
Furthermore, despite having multiple wins, the JGR driver is currently in sixth place in the standings. Additionally, he is about 50 points behind the championship leader and would like to close that gap in Dover and challenge for the lead in the standings.
