Denny Hamlin has been vocal about the problems with the Next-Gen cars.
Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch (Credits: IMAGO)
The race at Talladega had surprises at every turn, especially on the straightaways. The drivers were stuck in a slipstream train, which made the race quite dull, especially for Hamlin. The former cup series champion was disappointed with his 27th place finish after being in the lead pack for a long time and blamed it on the slow cars. His former teammate, Busch, now agrees with him.
The race at Talladega was different from its previous races. The Super Speedway lacked excitement for most of the race as the drivers formed trains and no one wanted to be the first car leading the pack. This created a unique situation in Alabama, as drivers who tried to pass the leaders ended up falling back due to the increased drag, which pushed them down the field. This motivated others to stay behind the leaders.
This affected Kyle Busch when he tried to make a move for the top positions but was dragged down by his car and quickly fell behind. This led him to express his frustration, and Denny Hamlin stated that he completely agreed with the former champion’s frustration.
Ride in line=finish where you areTRY to race for win=finish lastI hate these 🤬 cars!!!
Subsequently, the JGR driver criticized the NextGen cars for their large spoilers and aerodynamic inlets, which made it difficult to race on speedways. Furthermore, he explained that moving out of line or the drafting position would ruin anyone’s race, discouraging drivers from taking bold moves during high-speed chaos.
The race at Talladega was an emotional rollercoaster for Hamlin. The 43-year-old retired from the race after colliding with his Toyota teammates, nullifying his efforts. On the other hand, Busch won the race in Hamlin’s co-owned 23XI Racing team, bringing a smile to Hamlin’s face. As a result, after seeing his own team perform well, the No.11 driver is determined to win in Dover this weekend.
Over the years, Hamlin has only won the gold medal at Dover once. However, after the race at Talladega, he predicts that he will win in Dover and add another trophy to his collection this weekend.
In addition to this, despite having multiple wins, the JGR driver is currently in sixth place in the standings. Furthermore, he is about 50 points behind the championship leader and would like to close that gap in Dover and challenge for the top spot in the standings.