NASCAR’s superspeedway races demand a balance between aggression and patience. At Daytona and Talladega, drivers must decide whether to protect valuable stage points or take risks to reach the front. The Next Gen era has made that decision even more consequential, particularly for championship contenders. But has Denny Hamlin become too conservative at superspeedways? Dale Earnhardt Jr. believes the veteran needs to rediscover the aggressive mentality that once made him a regular threat at the front.

“He has not come into these races with that traditional Denny Hamlin mentality of I’m one of the best at this s*** and watch me. I’m gonna show you. I’m gonna be up there again. I used to say, when you watch a race at Daytona or Talladega, and they take a picture of the cars coming across the finish line, who’s in that shot? Denny’s in it every time. You know, a guy like Jamie McMurray was always in it,” Dale Jr. said while discussing the upcoming race at Talladega on ‘Dale Jr. Download’.

“A guy like Kurt Busch was always there. There were all these different drivers that just you knew they were going to run up there. And now that picture has Blaney in it. It has Reddick in it. Cindric, Preece, and I’m talking about the shot of the five, 10 cars crossing the finish line. Denny’s no longer in that photo.”

Denny Hamlin’s recent superspeedway results offer some context for Earnhardt Jr.’s concerns. He finished 31st in the 2026 Daytona 500 and 15th at Talladega in April, missing out on the kind of front-running results that once made him a regular threat at these tracks. Hamlin’s most notable recent superspeedway push came in that Daytona 500, where he led three laps before a late wreck ended his chances.

Dale Jr. Believes Denny Hamlin Needs to Rediscover His Superspeedway Aggression 

Hamlin’s reputation at superspeedways was built on his ability to put himself in contention when the race reached its decisive moments. His experience, racecraft, and understanding of the draft made him a consistent contender at Daytona and Talladega, where positioning often matters more than having the fastest car.

Earnhardt Jr. acknowledged the criticism might not sit well with Hamlin. “Now, he’s going to hate me for this,” he said, before pointing to Hamlin’s mindset at Atlanta last year. “He said 20 points, 20 points… I just need to grab a handful of points.”

His observation raises a question about whether Hamlin’s approach has shifted too far toward protecting his championship position rather than pursuing opportunities at the front.

The difference becomes particularly important under the current championship format. Stage points can provide meaningful protection in the standings, especially for drivers who cannot afford a poor finish. At the same time, prioritizing those points can influence how aggressively a competitor races during the opening stages, potentially limiting opportunities to control the race before the final laps.

“Hocevar is like lead, lead. He’s not thinking up points at all. He’s like front, front. His mind is just all about take the lead. Do something cool. Get the fans excited,” Earnhardt Jr. further explained.

“Do something cool. Lead, lead. That’s not Denny’s mentality. And maybe it kind of used to be, but now that you know we’ve had this sort of fuel mileage style of racing, there’s just all of the way you run these races has completely changed.”

With championship points at stake, a driver who avoids a wreck and secures a respectable finish can leave a superspeedway race in a stronger position than one who takes unnecessary risks. But that calculation can also become restrictive when the opportunity to win requires committing to a move that might end in disaster.

For the No. 11 JGR driver, the challenge is deciding whether the security of a conservative strategy outweighs the potential reward of racing more aggressively. 

“I think he needs to go into this race with a completely different approach than what he’s used in the Next Gen era. I think you ought to go back to the old Denny. Like, what do you got to lose?”

The argument is not necessarily that Hamlin should ignore stage points or race recklessly from the green flag. Instead, Earnhardt Jr. believes he needs to be more willing to pursue the lead and accept the risks that come with fighting near the front. 

At Talladega, where the draft can quickly change the running order, a driver who waits too long may find himself with fewer opportunities to make a decisive move.

Travis Rockhold noted that Hamlin has previously emphasized the importance of stage points, arguing that a driver cannot simply disregard them because a crash remains a possibility. 

“I think he has to try to run hard. My point is I think if he goes in with that attitude of lead, lead, lead, do something cool, do something awesome, go for the front, go, go, go. He’s getting all of that. But he’s gonna have to risk wrecking to do it,” Earnhardt Jr. said.

Ultimately, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s criticism comes down to what has made Hamlin such a formidable superspeedway competitor in the first place. The veteran has the experience and ability to contend at the front, but the former driver believes he must be willing to embrace the risks associated with that position again. 

At Talladega, protecting points can keep a championship campaign alive, but taking chances may be what puts Hamlin back among the drivers battling for the win.