There’s no character in NASCAR as polarizing as Denny Hamlin. Whether it’s his no-nonsense attitude off the track or his omnipresent dominance on all types of circuits, the Deliverinator, aka Denny Hamlin, is one of the most prominent figures in the sport. This is why, this time, he was honored on Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Dirty Mo Media.
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Reflecting on the advent of his Actions Detrimental after an eventful first year as a host, Denny Hamlin spoke in length with Dale Earnhardt Jr. about the ups and downs of his venture. While many would think it would be the act of putting on a perfect face in front of the camera that would fear Hamlin, the reality fell more into the corporate side of things.
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Although Denny Hamlin was having a blast on the show, the prospect of adding more driver interviews to the mix itched the Joe Gibbs Racing ace. But achieving that feat was easier said than done for a man of Hamlin’s stature. His notoriety with the media might have garnered thousands of fans, but it looks like it hasn’t done Denny Hamlin any favors with the teams!
Hamlin shared his one fear with Junior. He mentioned how he was most worried about the PR team rejecting their request for a driver to be interviewed based on Hamlin’s reputation, even if the driver was eager. But this didn’t sit well with Earnhardt Jr, who joked, “You think you’re going to get your feelings hurt if they say no? Do you fear rejection? Denny Hamlin does not fear rejection.”
More than getting his feelings caught in a mess, Denny Hamlin was more concerned about the team’s impression of him. He shared, “Not in that kind of way. What I’m saying is that you know, what if Hendrick Motorsports said no, you know, and they’re worried I’m going to send you down some kind of rabbit hole and get you in trouble.”
He further elaborated that William Byron’s eagerness surprised him because a big team might believe it would be detrimental for a budding driver to join Denny Hamlin on his crusade. This is when Junior summed things up perfectly – “Are you thinking, I wanna ask the drivers? The driver is probably fine, but his race team might say no because they think you might get them in trouble?”
Denny Hamlin concurred, “Yes, that. I ain’t worried about the drivers I’m worried about their teams. They’re a bunch of stiff-necks.” While the fear was that teams are more concerned with business outcomes than giving the fans what they want.”
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Dale Earnhardt Jr, who’s had many talent drivers on his podcast throughout the seasons, shared his take on the issue with the Actions Detrimental. He said, “But that is what I would do. I would go on my show and say what a bunch of stiff-necks. I asked him to come on but the team wouldn’t let him. That’d burn them, man! They’d have to rethink their whole PR, right?
While Junior felt it could burn a bridge between the teams and Denny Hamlin, the Actions Detrimental host retorted, “Dale, I don’t really think I’m too concerned about that,” the driver replied. While Dale Earnhardt Jr’s show does wonders for veteran fans of the sport, Hamlin’s take on long-format content brings in a fresher approach that has hit it off with younger fans.
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But the question Denny Hamlin and Dale Earnhardt Jr are still asking remains unanswered. When will teams understand that the fans want to see the drivers be more true to themselves and open to conversation than having to follow a media interaction guidebook?
