Switching from the “Gen-6” to the “Gen-7” cars in NASCAR was a game-changer, especially for the veteran drivers. These new cars are practically twins of the ones you can pick up at your local dealership, but they’re decked with cool designs and packed with safety upgrades. However, they’re running on less horsepower and rocking different tires. For the newbies who hopped into NASCAR in the last couple of years, the shift wasn’t too jarring. But for seasoned pros like Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr, and Kyle Busch, it’s been a whole different scene. Denny Hamlin recently opened up about his experience with these Next Gen cars, giving us a peek into what it’s been like adapting to this new chapter in racing.

Denny Hamlin’s way of driving took a sharp turn with the roll-out of Next Gen cars

Denny Hamlin has been open about not being a fan of this change from the get-go, especially worried about the safety aspect. Even Tyler Reddick, one of Hamlin’s drivers at 23XI, noticed how these cars behaved differently in crashes compared to the Gen-6 models.

But beyond safety, which NASCAR worked upon quite a lot in recent years, Hamlin found himself adjusting more than just his seatbelt. Chatting with Kevin Harvick on his podcast, Hamlin shared that the shift to these cars meant rethinking his entire approach to racing. With the car’s power, the tires, and pretty much the whole shebang getting an overhaul, it’s been all about adapting and evolving for him.

He asserted, “I think that that’s when you really see success is while I may not have the outright speed of some of these young guys, and I know I don’t, I don’t know, I know I don’t have the talent or the outright speed. If you can mesh experience with an older driver that’s willing to continue to learn, if you can have those two together, that’s when you really see a lot of success.”

Hamlin went on to explain how, back in the day, he was all about dancing on both pedals, always keeping his feet busy. He was known for his fancy footwork, constantly playing with the throttle. But then, the Next Gen cars rolled in with their heavy drag and less vroom, forcing him to ease off the brakes more than he liked. The brake pedal used to be like a security blanket for him, but now he’s had to switch gears to a style that’s all about keeping the momentum up.

Yet, even with this shift, he’s managed to stay at the top of his game, consistently showing up as one of the sharpest drivers on the NASCAR circuit. And for this smooth transition, he’s quick to tip his hat to his crew chief, Chris Gabehart, for keeping him on point.

#11’s decision to evolve with time has helped him stay in the game

Denny Hamlin’s game changed for the better after a tough 2018, going from a winless season to bouncing back stronger. This shift in gear was all thanks to his crew chief, Chris Gabehart, hopping on board with team #11. Hamlin’s got so much faith in Gabehart that while talking to Harvick, he said-

“Chris has rejuvenated my career. […] if he tells me to, he, he, this is one thing that he loves saying he is like, what I love about Denny is that if I tell him to go and run a lap and reverse and practice, he won’t ask why. He’ll just go do it. ’cause he knows I have a reason I need him to do that. And so that is my job, right, is to run whatever play he tells me.”

Kevin Harvick echoed this sentiment. Chatting with the Fox News crew, he mentioned, “Anything that Chris says to Denny- it’s just like ‘Yes sir, yep I’m going to do it. He’s telling me, I believe it’. And if he’s telling me to drive off the cliff, I’m going to go drive off the cliff and that’s what you want in that driver crew chief combination.”

As Denny spends more time with the Next Gen car, he is sure to bring out more cards from his deck. And the NASCAR world is all for it!

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