“He creates a lot of problems”: Dale Earnhardt Jr. credits Denny Hamlin with major compliment

During the Hallway Interviews with Michelle Beadle, retired NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. praised Denny Hamlin for his infamous persona in the high-octane sport. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is renowned for his remorseless driving style and publicly challenging rivals for an on-track debacle.

Denny Hamlin ventured into the Cup Series nearly two decades ago in 2005. Since then, the Florida native has tamed the machines for JGR and has raked in 54 wins. Though the #11 Toyota driver is yet to etch his name as a Cup Series champ, his noteworthy achievements have made him stand level with the stock car greats.

Hamlin has bagged three Southern 500 wins (2010, 2017, 2021), reigned supreme at the Daytona 500 during 2016, 2019, and 2020, and has clinched the 2022 Coca-Cola 600 win. With that, his prowess is arguably among the top drivers.

However, the JGR driver has a fierce on-track demeanor. One instance occurred at the 2023 Phoenix Race, where Denny Hamlin deliberately wrecked Ross Chastain's #1 Chevy into the outside wall and kept on slamming the latter's rear bumper. As a result, NASCAR slapped the #11 Toyota driver with a hefty $50000 fine and docked him 25 driver points.

Secondly, after winning the 2023 Bristol race and securing his place in the next round of playoffs, Hamlin yelled at the crowd saying, "I beat your favorite driver," which still does rounds in the community.

Knowingly or unknowingly, the JGR driver creates "problems" with his fearless attitude. While many people are taken aback by Hamlin's persona, in a surprising turnaround of events, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has praised the 43-year-old as the "most exciting person" in NASCAR.

"Who is the most exciting person in NASCAR today?" Beadle asked Junior via SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on X.

"I'm gonna say its Denny Hamlin. He's got some good zingers, one-liners, keeps pushing people around it's visible. He creates a lot of problems so it's a lot of fun for me, Dale Earnhardt Jr. replied.

"That makes me even more angry"- Dale Earnhardt Jr. vents his frustration after Denny Hamlin gets a free pass over his jumpstart at Richmond Raceway

Denny Hamlin bagged his second 2024 Cup Series win at the Richmond Raceway. After a late race contact between Kyle Larson and Bubba Wallace sent the 400-lap dash into overtime, the then frontrunner and Hamlin's teammate Martin Truex Jr. lost his domination.

While the pack pitted under caution, the #11 Toyota benefitted the most. It entered the pits in P3 but exited the lane as the race leader. Moreover, momentarily before the green flag show, Hamlin jumpstarted the restart gaining an undue advantage and sealing the victory. His teammate, meanwhile, seethed for his fourth-place finish.

Despite the jumpstart, NASCAR VP of Competition Elton Sawyer had a different take than the NASCAR rulebook and said.

"If this happens at Lap 10 or 50 or 300 (in the 400 lap race), the call could have been different," via SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Sawyer's out-of-the-rule-book take on the matter didn't sit well with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and he vented his frustration.

"To come out and say 'I think if it happened on lap 10, we would've called it differently.' That makes me even more angry. Why are you calling the race differently depending upon the laps?" Junior said via Dirty Mo Media on X. (0.30)

"The rule in the book, it's black and white," he added. "It's on or off. It's yes and no. It doesn't change at lap 450 or lap 5," Dale Earnhardt Jr. added.

So far, Denny Hamlin leads the charts with a 21-point lead over Kyle Larson.