Denny Hamlin opens up about traumatic experience as Next Gen NASCAR's trouble continues: “I don’t feel well at all”

NASCAR Clash at the Coliseum - Day 2
Denny Hamlin sits in his car during qualifying for the 2023 NASCAR Clash at the Coliseum at Los Angeles Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin is at it again, and for good measure. With the start of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season last weekend at the LA Memorial Coliseum, a race that many expected to be better than last year's, the #11 Toyota Camry TRD driver was seen shooting the governing body down after the slightly-problematic return of the Busch Light Clash.

As has been a topic of popular discussion throughout the previous season, the seventh-generation Cup car, also dubbed the Next Gen car, made its debut in the sport last year. With major changes to the formula of how the car is built to bring it into tune with the modern era of the sport, the rule change has been a hit or a miss for NASCAR over the first year.

With multiple drivers having to sit races out last year due to concussion injuries sustained in the new car, the Next Gen car notoriously gained its reputation for being 'less safe' than the car it replaced. Coming into the 2023 season, the governing body has made changes to the rear clip of the car, an area of concern. However, that doesn’t seem to have paid off as much as some would have liked. Denny Hamlin elaborated on how bumps from other cars are just as jarring now as they were last year on the first episode of his podcast Actions Detrimental, and said:

"The bumper tag still hurts. I feel anything softer, I know that's something NASCAR might be testing, softer bumpers itself, we need it. Once you start bumper tagging, your HANS locks out, and you can feel a jarr in your head. I don't know if mine's carbon monoxide or what but I don't feel well at all."

Denny Hamlin to make SRX Series debut in 2023

Superstar Racing Experience, better known as SRX, recently announced Denny Hamlin as another driver to be participating in their 2023 season-opening event at Stafford Motor Speedway later this year on July 13th, 2023.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is all set to participate in the alternate stock car racing series, which is also set to host several other NASCAR personalities such as Kevin Harvick, Hailee Deegan, and Brad Keselowski amongst various others.

Going into its third season as an officiating body, SRX is set to bring fans alternate stock car racing content. Denny Hamlin spoke about his future appearance and said:

"I am absolutely fired up to join the SRX season opener at Stafford Motor Speedway. That track has so much history, to finally get to race there will be a bucket list item for me."

Meanwhile, the NASCAR Cup Series season continues later this month for the 65th run of the Daytona 500 on February 19th, 2023.

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Edited by Anurag C
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