“This is not an underdog team anymore” - Denny Hamlin outlines his expectations for Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick this season

Bluegreen Vacations Duel #1
Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx 50 Toyota, speaks with Bubba Wallace, driver of the #23 McDonald's Toyota, on the grid prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Bluegreen Vacations Duel #1 at Daytona International Speedway on February 16, 2023 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Three-time Daytona 500 winner and co-owner of 23XI Racing, Denny Hamlin, has set ambitious plans for his NASCAR team drivers, Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick, this season.

Hamlin appeared on Dirty Mo Media, Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s media platform, and shared how his team, 23XI Racing, has evolved from being an underdog to being a serious challenger in the NASCAR Cup Series. He said:

"We're not an underdog. This is not an underdog team anymore for sure."

The 23XI Racing team was formed at the beginning of the 2021 season with Bubba Wallace driving, and it has made great progress towards becoming competitive in NASCAR. The team has competed in a total of 108 races so far and gained five wins and two pole positions, and Denny Hamlin's vision for the team is to keep getting better.

The 43-year-old driver expressed a change in thinking within the organization. The days of having small goals are gone, and drivers need to compete at the highest level all the time.

"Patting ourselves on the back for running in the top-10 , I don't mean to be the tough guy but that's very modest goals for our team," Hamlin said.

With a clear goal in mind, Denny Hamlin shared his expectations for Wallace and Reddick, saying:

"I expect them to content for wins and top-fives and contend on a regular basis, not just be happy with running 10th or 12th."

The team will hit the racetrack for the Cup Series season opener at the Daytona 500, at the Daytona International Speedway on February 18 at 2:30 p.m. ET.


Denny Hamlin shares his podcast's pre-launch conversation with NASCAR officials

As a successful NASCAR driver, team owner, and now also a podcast host, Denny Hamlin offers the fans a unique insight into the organization. In a recent interview for Dirty Mo Media, Hamlin talked about his podcast - Actions Detrimental, and how the discussions preceding its launch took place.

The Joe Gibbs driver detailed the conversation he had with NASCAR upper management members, where he explained his podcast content. He said:

"There's 80% of the time, I'm going to be pretty positive about what's going on. But my job is to be, you know, subjective and obviously, objective about what I see. And you're going to have to deal with the 20% that's negative.''

Despite initial concerns, the idea pleased NASCAR officials.

"We both came out of that conversation and they conceded to the fact that the sport is better with your podcast," Denny Hamlin stated.

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Edited by Yash Singh
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