Denny Hamlin is always one step ahead of the game. Maybe not physically anymore, but mentally for sure. As the Cup series heads for Texas this week, Hamlin will be looking for his second win of the season.
And if he gets it, it will be No. 62 in his career, putting him one behind ninth place Kyle Busch, who has 63. That Hamlin, who turns 46 this November, is still at or near the top of his game despite his age is remarkable.
Most drivers are just hanging on once they hit their 40s if they’re still driving at all. There are exceptions, such as Kevin Harvick, who won 29 races in his 40s, but not many.
“I mean, it’s gratifying because I saw, like, the legendary Mount Rushmore guys, I’ve raced against them. I think at least two on Mount Rushmore I got to race against and I know how good they are,” Hamlin was quoted on NASCAR’s website after winning earlier this year at Las Vegas.
“I also saw at the end of their careers, when they got my age, their performance changed for whatever reason,” Hamlin commented. He was talking about Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, both of whom raced well into their 40s and, in Johnson’s case, beyond.
Gordon’s last big season came when he was 42 and won four times. Johnson, who has turned 50, hasn’t won a race in seven years although he still competes sporadically for Legacy Motor Club, a team he partially owns.
“Harvick is kind of the one that sticks out to me,” Hamlin said. “He was still doing it at a high level at this age. I don’t know when he stopped winning,” Hamlin added. “Maybe 46-ish, 47-ish, I’m not really sure.
“That was, like, motivation to me,” Hamlin said. “Okay, it’s possible. Not everyone ages the same. But that gave me hope, that, like, I think I can still do this.”
What sets Hamlin apart is the fact that he has one of the most introspective and analytical minds in NASCAR. His ability to look at himself objectively, to discern his strengths and weaknesses as a driver, enables him to make adjustments in his driving style that keep him competitive.
At least in part, Hamlin credits advances in technology for helping him stay sharp.
“I think data and analytics probably played a role in that,” Hamlin said. “I’m a very analytical person. I’m a very structured person. What data and analytics allowed me to do was identify my weaknesses, then allowed me to shore up those weaknesses.
“Before that, you’re kind of just going by the seat of your pants. If you want to get better, you have to go over to Matt Kenseth’s garage or Tony Stewart’s garage and ask ‘How are you driving turn three?’
“When we started sharing data and stuff like that, while it was negative in some ways because my information got out, it was also a positive at some racetracks where I wasn’t very good,” Hamlin commented. “It was a double- edged sword.
“I think I really embraced it,” Hamlin continued. “Okay, here’s the tools I have to identify my weaknesses, now what am I going to do about it? How can I fix them (his weaknesses) and what do I need to work on that will give me the best results?”
Going into the race at Texas, Hamlin sits second in the Old Guy Sport competition index behind Tyler Reddick, who drives one of the three cars co-owned by Hamlin and Michael Jordan.
Reddick, off to a very hot start, has 210 points, Hamlin 193. The OGS competition index is used rather than the NASCAR system because the NASCAR system places too much emphasis on finishing races rather than competing in them.
And even though he turns 46 later this year, Hamlin will be one of the guys to beat for the championship. And while he may be almost twice the age of most of them, he might also be almost twice as good.
NASCAR NOTES
Three most likely winners at Texas: 1-Ryan Blaney, 2-Denny Hamlin, 3-Kyle Larson. Last year’s winner at Texas: Joey Logano. Top five at Texas last year: 1-Logano, 2-Ross Chastain, 3-Blaney, 4-Larson, 5-Erik Jones.
Last week’s Old Guy Sport picks: No picks last week, OGS does not count the superspeedway races (Daytona, Talladega and Atlanta) in its standings because luck, and not team performance or driver skill, is most important in determining the outcome.
OGS Kansas picks (race prior to Talladega): 1-Hamlin, 2-Tyler Reddick, 3-Chase Briscoe. Kansas winner: Reddick. OGS record after seven races: 4-3.
OGS competition index top 10: 1-Reddick 210 points, 2-Hamlin 193, 3-Larson 150, 4-Blaney 143, 5-Christopher Bell 124, 6-Ty Gibbs 123, 7-Chase Elliott 102, 8-Brad Keselowski 63, 9-William Byron 46, 10-Chase Briscoe 45.
OGS competition index top 10 at intermediate tracks (tracks most like Texas): 1-Hamlin 117, 2-Reddick 115, 3-Larson 67, 4-Bell 33, 5-Briscoe 31, 6-Carson Hocevar 21, 7-Bubba Wallace 10, Austin Cindric 10.
