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Denny Hamlin's dominant win at the Cook Out 400 has revived the debate about his reputation in NASCAR after his post-race celebrations. Former NASCAR champion Kevin Harvick opened up about the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran, praising his efforts and explaining why he remains a polarizing figure.
After two decades in NASCAR's top tier, Hamlin has divided fans like no other driver. While some fans admire his outspoken nature, he also attracts a decent number of detractors for his rash attitude. After the race, Hamlin explained how he plays into the 'villain' role that fans have given him and his desire to beat their 'favourite racer.'
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Harvick pointed out that Hamlin's post-race celebrations are exactly why he falls out with a large number of people in the racing community, adding to his image. After getting his sixth win at Martinsville, the Joe Gibbs veteran got out of his #11 Toyota after the victory lap and brought out a flag that said "11 against the world." Harvick highlighted this in his Happy Hour with Harvick podcast (5:53 onwards):
"I really enjoy that when the old guys win. I think for Denny this was an important moment. I wish he would just stayed out of the car and not pulled that flag out because everybody was cheering. Denny was in a great spot and then he pulled the flag out and I don't know that it was all cheers. Because, right now I think everybody's learning a lot about Denny Hamlin."
Denny Hamlin led more than two-thirds of the race on Sunday and finished with a four-second lead over second-place Christopher Bell. However, his post-race antics took the attention away from his dominance in the race.
Harvick admitted that the JGR #11 gets a lot of heat due to such actions, but with his podcast (Actions Detrimental with Denny Hamlin), fans are slowly getting to know the person behind the wheel. The 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion also acknowledged how Hamlin has been able to adapt to his new crew chief to find a win in just their sixth outing together.
Kevin Harvick wants to see if Denny Hamlin can 'maintain his level'
Denny Hamlin last won at Martinsville in 2015 but still holds the second-best average of all racers on the track behind Ryan Blaney. This shows his race management of short tracks and speedways. His recent win takes him to sixth in the standings, but Harvick believes that it will remain a challenge for him to maintain his form throughout the season. He said in the aforementioned podcast:
"It will be interesting to see if he can manage and maintain that level all season long, now that they've got that first win. He is a winner. I think the ultimate goal is that championship but in order to get to that point, you got to maintain that championship level all season. That's always the most difficult part for all of us... to maintain that level week in week out." (9:50 onwards)
NASCAR fans have often called Denny Hamlin 'the greatest driver to never win a title.' The 44-year-old veteran has never been able to win the title despite being one of the winningest active Cup Series drivers. With 55 Cup wins under his belt, the Joe Gibbs Racing #11 will feel confident going into the season after his statement win at Martinsville Speedway.
