Denny Hamlin backs Alex Bowman for "bounce-back" 2024 NASCAR Cup Series campaign

Denny Hamlin and Alex Bowman have had a tumultuous working relationship over the years in NASCAR. Fans often remember the two drivers' run-in at Martinsville in 2021, with the exchange on and off-track creating headlines back then.

Having somewhat buried the hatchet in subsequent years, the two currently do not seem to mind each other too much.

This was evident during an episode of Denny Hamlin's popular podcast, Actions Detrimental. The 2024 season of the podcast on Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Dirty Mo Media publication kicked off with Hamlin talking about several topics. One of those was Alex Bowman's 2023 NASCAR Cup Series performance.

Bowman suffered from a dismal showing during the 2023 season, with injuries keeping him from winning a single race, let alone making a postseason playoffs charge. Hamlin sympathized with Bowman's position last year and looked back on a similar instance in his career, as well as backing him up for a comeback in 2024.

He said:

"I think he was hurt. That's my personal opinion. I went through a very similar injury. It was probably very likely he was not 100% in his car control feel. I think that he has a bounce-back season. I think he makes the playoffs, probably wins a race."

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Denny Hamlin's thoughts on Joey Logano's comments on spoilt NASCAR fans

Keeping the wholesome streak going, Denny Hamlin recently also talked about fellow Cup Series driver Joey Logano. The Team Penske driver's comments on NASCAR fans being spoilt for access were seen doing the rounds on social media during the offseason.

Hamlin reacted to Logano's comments and decided to not take them on face value, but try to understand their ultimate meaning. He defended his fellow competitor on his podcast and said (via firstsportz.com):

"Joey’s comments about our fans being a little too spoiled. I think it was taken a little bit out of context. It’s certainly not what he meant. He just meant that our fans have a ton of access."

Meanwhile, the 2024 NASCAR season kicks off with the exhibition-style Busch Light Clash at the LA Memorial Coliseum this Sunday at 8:00 pm ET.