“I Am Not as Good as Them”: Denny Hamlin Admits Inferiority to JGR Legends After Historic Milestone

 The oldest active Cup Series driver, but don’t let that stop Denny Hamlin from being the best on the track. What’s the secret to his longevity? Well, he lives the sport. “I didn’t know how much he took pride in that … The amount of time he puts into it,” Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) crew Chief Chris Gayle said to the press after Hamlin clinched the World Wide Technology Raceway on September 7.

It’s been an amazing season for both the team and Hamlin himself. Truth be told, it’s the latter who’s doing the heavy lifting. And yet, the greatness of the three-time Daytona 500 winner lies in his humility. Having made history, the JGR veteran was talking to the press, which was shared by Cup Scene on YouTube on September 7. And there, Denny Hamlin told us what sets him apart from the rest, from the younger competition.

Denny Hamlin keeps his humility ahead of himself

Well, it’s paradoxical. What keeps putting him on top of the podium is that he thinks he has space to improve and learn from his teammates. And he has been doing that forever. “I don’t know how many Joe Gibbs Racing teammates I’ve been through or worked with. You know, it’s got to be a lot, it feels like now,” Hamlin said in the presser. “But everyone’s a little bit different and everyone will push you in a different way.”

He did mention how the dynamic with newcomer Chase Briscoe is different. We are sure he means it’s a good kind of different, which has helped him sit on top of the Cup Series standings, while Briscoe sits in 2nd. But what keeps Hamlin ahead is his ability to learn from his teammates. “You know, there’s certain parts of each driver’s game that I envy, that forces me to identify that I’m not as good as them in ‘blank’ area, and then it truly helps me be better,” the NASCAR icon boldly confessed as he tries to go for the elusive Championship again.

Over the years, Denny Hamlin has had iconic teammates. Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Matt Kenseth. Together, they have accomplished a lot, including multiple wins and championships. And the way Hamlin sees it, it’s the NASCAR champions who made him better.

And you know what? After all these years, Denny Hamlin still has so much pride for racing, for what he is doing as part of JGR. It doesn’t matter that he is a veteran. Rather, he gets inspired by his younger teammates. “When you look up there (at the banner) and your teammates with these guys and they’re putting their number in order of wins, it’s like you want your number to be more up there, more than everybody else’s. And so there’s just a lot of gamesmanship and pride that goes into that.”

Well, Denny Hamlin is surely setting the pace for his teammates and the entire competition. Not to mention, his WWTR win became an iconic milestone, both individually and as a collective.

Learning from champions, but Denny Hamlin is not doing too badly himself

After two runner-up finishes as part of the NASCAR Cup Series race, the #11 JGR driver has finally got himself a win at the WWTR when he clinched the Enjoy Illinois 300 on Sunday. And with the result, he helped Toyota get its record 200th NASCAR Cup Series victory, making them the 4th manufacturer to achieve the feat.

His 5th win of the season, which came courtesy of a three-wide move after the final restart, was Hamlin’s 59th Cup Series, keeping him one short of equaling Kevin Harvick’s 60 Cup wins record.

Hamlin did talk about continuously learning from his teammates, seeing where he lacks, and trying to bridge the gap. That’s the secret to his sustained dominance in the sport. But make no mistake. He also knows where he stands in terms of career accomplishments. “When you compare me to someone that’s maybe got one or two, maybe three championships, and half the wins, I don’t think that person’s better than I am,” Hamlin said after the WWTR win.

The Florida-born racer has been in resurgent form this season, grabbing 12 Top-5 finishes in 27 starts. Already booking his seat to the Round of 12, he will head into Bristol with a clear head and a long-awaited championship aim.