“I don't love it as much as I used to”: Denny Hamlin's take on how the Next Gen NASCAR Cup car has changed his outlook on Superspeedway racing 

The NASCAR Next Gen Cup car has managed to equalize the field in terms of speed, and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin seems to be on the fence about it. Racing with the seventh generation of cars (which fans have been seeing on the track for 2 seasons now) has often been touted as difficult.

With the focus on spec parts handed by the governing body to the team in order to keep costs low, the threshold for a team having the opportunity to deliver a faster car to their driver has narrowed. With an increased focus on pit strategy, setup, and pit stops, drivers' teams can be seen working just as hard to beat their opponents out on the track.

This phenomenon of the Next Gen car has been most prominent at speedway-style tracks such as the upcoming Talladega Superspeedway. Denny Hamlin recently spoke about his reaction to this change in modern-day NASCAR. Speaking with FOX Sports' Bob Pockrass, he elaborated:

"I would say love more than dread. I don't dread any superspeedways for sure. I loved the older style superspeedway racing over the Next Gen superspeedway racing for sure. Before I could hit a hole or something like that and it pays off. Where this Next Gen, you have to just stay in line. I don't love it as much as I used to. But I still love the chess match of it. It's still a big factor."

With the upcoming Yellawood 500 at the 2.6-mile-long track, playoff drivers are expected to be shuffled around, as is typical of race day at the Lincoln, Alabama track.

Denny Hamlin on excelling as a driver in an age where parity is more common amongst teams than ever

Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin seems to be enjoying the modern-day phenomenon of parity in terms of car performance in NASCAR. With a renewed focus on drivers becoming the deciding factor in the sport now, Denny Hamlin elaborated on how he plans to navigate the upcoming Yellawood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Highlighting the role of the driver behind the wheel, Hamlin told Bob Pockrass:

"The driver is the biggest factor every weekend. So it's on me to make sure that I'm better than the rest. And I put in the work that makes me better than the rest."

With Denny Hamlin looking to advance to the Round of 8 this weekend, it remains to be seen how he runs at one of the most unpredictable races of the season on Sunday.