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NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin recently expressed his feelings on the tire wear at Martinsville Speedway ahead of the final race before the Cup Series heads to Phoenix Raceway. Hamlin is one of six drivers in contention for the two remaining spots for the championship race.
The driver of the #11 Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing, Denny Hamlin, competes full-time in the Cup Series. The Daytona 500 winner has had notable success in his NASCAR career, with 76 trips to victory lane. However, he is still yearning for his first Cup Series title.
Denny Hamlin has competed 38 times at Martinsville Speedway, of which he has secured a top-five finish 19 times. He also has five victories on the track, establishing himself as one of the top contenders for winning the NASCAR Cup Series' XFINITY 500 on Sunday.
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Following a bad day in practice, during which Hamlin lost his throttle and made contact with the wall, he spoke with Fox Sports Bob Pockrass. The American journalist asked Hamlin how he felt about the tire wear at Martinsville, to which the #11 driver said that it was 'definitely an improvement.'
"Well, that is the good news. I thought the tire was definitely an improvement from what we've had here in the past and certainly had what I thought was probably twice the fall-off that we had had with the previous tire. So certainly, if the race goes long enough and green enough, you could make up some spots there if your car is handling well."
On being asked how Hamlin avoided going into the wall head first despite his throttle issues, the 43-year-old said:
"I tried to just smash the pedals as hard as I could. And at that point, I just kind of whipped the wheel as much as I could to the left to try to get into spin sideways. But again, most of it is all reactionary. You're trying your best to keep the thing off the fence because you know the implications of it, but most of it is reactionary."
Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell from JGR, along with Chase Elliott, William Byron, and Kyle Larson representing Hendrick Motorsports and reigning Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney, will be battling each other for a chance to secure the coveted Cup Series title.
Denny Hamlin “very upset” after crashing in Martinsville practice, slams his helmet on the car
Denny Hamlin is trying to keep his playoff hopes alive. Following a crash that brought an untimely end to his practice session, Hamlin expressed his frustration by slamming his helmet on his #11 Toyota.
NASCAR insider Noah Lewis shared the news on X (formerly Twitter).
“VERY upset @DennyHamlin slams his helmet down after practice crash.”
This is a major setback for the #11 driver, as he will start the XFINITY 500 playoff race at Martinsville from last place with a backup car. Can Denny Hamlin Keep his playoff hopes alive? Catch him live on NBC Sports, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR channel at 2:00 PM ET on Sunday.
