Weeks After Throwing Joe Gibbs Racing Crew Under the Bus, Denny Hamlin Gets All Pumped Up on the Radio

Despite being in the sport for about 2 decades, Denny Hamlin is still chasing his first Cup Series championship. Over the years, there have been numerous criticisms against the veteran for fading towards the end and not capitalizing on the occasion. However, this time, things seem a bit different.

The 2023 campaign has been a rollercoaster ride for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver. While his fiascos have captivated the community for good and bad reasons, the veteran driver is still on the hunt, actively chasing his dream.

Very recently, at Illinois 300, the #11 driver put out a tight battle, closely finishing just behind the winner, Kyle Busch. Amid all this, Hamlin also lauded his young pit crew for their systematic show at World Wide Technology Raceway. This, however, is a bit of a shocker, considering what he had to say for them, a few weeks ago.

Enthusiastic Denny Hamlin Applauds His Crew Following a Close Second to His Former Teammate

The World Wide Technology Raceway witnessed yet another action-packed episode of NASCAR’s Cup Series last Sunday. As Richard Childress Racing driver and NASCAR’s own bad boy clinched his third win of the season, his former teammate and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin had to be content with a close second position.

Recently, NASCAR’s Radioactive from the Enjoy Illinois 300 showed a pumped-up Hamlin praising his crew for a quick pit stop that had the driver exclaim with pride, “My men.” With his young crew getting back to their rhythm, JGR fans were thrilled to see the Camry roll out of the pit stop swiftly. This hasn’t been the case always thought.

Hamlin, being the blunt guy he is, has often criticized his crew for their inconsistent ways.

He has even urged his boss, Joe Gibbs, to take the necessary action to ensure the best for the team. While his JGR teammate, Martin Truex Jr racked up a thrilling win, frustrated Hamlin put out a desperate plea pointing out the dire situation he is in.

“I was frustrated last year. I was frustrated a little bit this year… I know they’re working hard. I have a really good young group of professional pit crew guys working on my car every week. But they are young, right? And they will take time to really get all the reps they need to be a top top-tier pit crew, he vented on his ‘Actions Detrimental’ podcast.

On the bright side, the 42-year-old certainly knows when credit is due. Let us take a look at the veteran’s stellar run that got the momentum going for the team.

READ MORE: “Counterfeit Could Mean”- Denny Hamlin Insinuates at Tony Stewart’s Team’s Bitter NASCAR Fate

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How Is Hamlin’s 2023 Season So Far?

2023 started out with a bang. But despite the debacle with his former rival, Ross Chastain, the 23XI Racing co-owner, found his rhythm in the later races. With a stellar speedway victory at Kansas and 4 top 5 finishes this season, Hamlin has improved his spot despite being at the center of controversy more than once.

The #11 driver is still in the hunt, chasing his first championship. And the Kansas Speedway run was a testament to the driver’s undying will. After a much-needed victory at the speedway and several top-notch runs, Hamlin has improved his position to the 8th spot in the points table.

With 451 points Hamlin sits just below Busch who has 3 wins this season. Whereas his JGR teammate, Martin Truex Jr is slightly above in the 4th position with 472 points, coming off of 1 win and 4 top 5s. On the other hand, the relatively younger Christopher Bell is at sixth with 5 top 5 finishes and 1 win.

WATCH THIS STORY: Denny Hamlin defends himself with a controversial Dale Earnhardt Sr clip regarding his involvement in Chase Elliott’s suspension

Let us hope Hamlin will soon change his reputation of being one of the best to never win a championship.