A 2006 chaser?
Based on everything I've seen so far -- one pole and three top 10s in six starts -- I'd say Denny Hamlin will make some noise in 2006.
Maybe that's my Virginia bias showing. With Ricky Rudd retiring and Elliott Sadler, uh, not succeeding, I need someone from my home state to pull for.
Dustin Long has a story on him in today's paper. Read it here.
Said Hamlin when he was recalling his first victory as a kid: "I remember passing everybody and wondering why everybody was so slow."
I wonder if he thinks the same thing about his Cup races. Some days it seems that way.
Comments (6)
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Hamlin is doing great! Which makes me wonder...
Did Gibbs pump more money into that car after Leffler and Labonte drove it?
Is Hamlin just better than Labonte and Leffler?
Is it REALLY a 'team chemistry' thing?
Hmmm. Whatever it is, he's fun to watch run so well.
Posted on November 17, 2005 4:44 PM
Leffler blew his chance -- no doubt about it. Hamlin and Labonte have both driven the 11 this year, and both blew the doors off the competition. Remember B-Lab going door-to-door with JJ at Charlotte this spring?
Labonte's problem (one of them, anyway) is that Interstate is supposedly one of the smaller sponsorship deals in NASCAR.
What I'm curious to see is how FedEx promotes Hamlin. It promoted the car, but not the driver.
Posted on November 17, 2005 4:56 PM
Umm John? Labonte didn't drive the 11 this year. When Leffler DNQ'd the 600 the 18 ran with FedEx colors.
Posted on November 17, 2005 8:35 PM
You're right, Matt. And Labonte was using his own car and crew. That's what I get for relying solely on memory.
But if it's a case of who's better, Leffler vs. Hamlin, I'll vote Hamlin. He's beating Leffler in Busch, too.
Posted on November 17, 2005 10:19 PM
But Leffler has done well in the 32, he seems to be a great driver in Busch. Last year before taking the Gibbs deal he was 3rd in points. Be interesting to see if he can stick it out for an entire season somewhere.
Posted on November 17, 2005 10:46 PM
I still can't get past the fact that Leffler got one of the better Cup rides (new sponsor, established team with two past Cup champs) and couldn't stay high enough in the standings where he didn't have to qualify on time every week. Talk about a blown opportunity.
Posted on November 18, 2005 10:08 AM