Few would dispute that Denny Hamlin gets more out of his ability then any driver in NASCAR. His work ethic, his attention to detail and his drive to succeed make him the premier driver in the sport.
And that’s true even though Hamlin is closing in on 45 and at a point in his career when most drivers start tailing off. But if anything, at least right now, advancing age has pushed Hamlin to hone his competitive instincts even more, to prove to himself and others he’s still the best there is at what he does.
Heading to Atlanta this weekend, NASCAR has Hamlin third in its standings with 545 points, putting him behind William Byron (623) and Kyle Larson (569). But the NASCAR system is based on finishing races, not competing in them.
The Old Guy Sport competition index more accurately reflects how Hamlin has performed this year. Hamlin leads the competition index, which only awards points for laps led under green and top five finishes, with 364 points. Larson, with 301, is second and Christopher Bell, with 269, is third.
And, in the last five races (four actually because Hamlin skipped Mexico City to be present at the birth of his son), Hamlin has scored a whopping 146 points including a win at Michigan, a second at Pocono and a third at Nashville. And at Charlotte, he led more laps under green than anybody except Byron, who completely dominated the race although he didn’t win.
“It’s just the way I’m wired, it’s the way I’ve always been,” Hamlin said after the Michigan win according to NASCAR.com. “I don’t know if I’ve always been this way,” he continued, amplifying his remarks. “But certainly over the last 10, 15 years I’ve been this way where I’m just really addicted to the process, the process of being good.
“It’s become harder and harder every single year,” Hamlin went on. “The process changes every year, what it takes to excel.”
If Hamlin is not the most physically gifted competitor on the track, he is probably the smartest. And he is almost certainly the hardest working. He spends hours on the racing simulator to perfect his skills.
As he has gotten older, Hamlin realized that to stay on top he’s needed to find an edge, a way to utilize his experience to gain an advantage. Hamlin doesn’t just drive with his hands and feet, he uses his head as well. He is thoroughly prepared. He knows what he can do. He knows what his race car can do. And he knows what to expect on the track.
“I’m racing guys, some of ’em pretty much half my age, and they’re so good,” Hamlin said. “They’re really, really good. It’s really gratifying when I know I can run with ’em and I know I can beat ’em.
“It just feels really good to 20 years later (after he started Cup racing) still feel like this is the best I’ve ever been,” Hamlin said. “You have another birthday. You keep wondering how long are you going to be able to do this at this level.
“Listen, 57 (the number of races Hamlin has won so far) might be it. None of us know. I’m going to enjoy it (the Michigan win) as if it’s my last. Then I’ll go to work on Monday just like I always have.
“I don’t ever want to be so ho-hum with winning that it becomes boring because then I lose my drive. It feels good because I’m going to hate it when I’m not at the level I’m at now,” Hamlin commented.
“I certainly will retire very quickly after that. I’m not going to hang around and do it just to do it,” He added. “This is how I want to spend my last season; still winning, you know?”
Right now, there is no sign Hamlin is slowing down, no indication he will be getting out of his car for good anytime soon. In fact if he keeps this up, who knows? Some of the kids he’s beating now may be gone before he is.
NASCAR NOTES
No race this week. The Old Guy Sport competition index does not include races at Atlanta, Daytona and Talladega because you can’t race on those tracks. Two things determine how you finish. First, you must avoid the big wreck, which can happen at any time and anyplace and is something totally out of your control.
Second, you must be in the right lane at the right time on the last lap because you can’t pass by yourself. You can be leading the race coming out of the fourth turn and if two or three cars behind you move down and break the draft, you can go from first to 20th with no chance to win even if you have the best car.
OGS competition index top 10 going into Atlanta: 1-Denny Hamlin, 364 points; 2-Kyle Larson, 301; 3-Christopher Bell, 269; 4-William Byron, 237; 5-Ryan Blaney, 211; 6-Chase Briscoe, 168; 7-Ross Chastain, 102; 8-Bubba Wallace, 93; 9-Chase Elliott, 92; 10-Joey Logano 91.
