In the 2022 season NASCAR introduced the Next-Gen cars with the primary goals of making racing fair and competitive. They were able to achieve that with making field converge more closer than ever. But this came at a terrible cost, as the aero-issues with the car made it terrible for passing and racing became just a game of fuel saving and track position.
Now according to three times Daytona 500 winner and JGR veteran Denny Hamlin, in the current era driver’s skills are no longer a factor during races anymore. He, with a huge disappointment, acknowledged that the premier stock car division is getting close to being a series were skill no longer significant difference maker.
Cup racing, oh my gosh, it is a whole other thing now. I hate to say that skill is almost not a factor anymore, but it’s getting close to that. Denny Hamlin said via Action Detrimental podcast.
The 23XI Racing co-owner did highlight that skill is still a factor in the Xfinity Series, the second division of the sport. This might be because of the fact that they are using old cup chassis to race, which have produced solid racing in the past.
Denny Hamlin recalls advice from Tony Stewart on long-runs during races
While talking about the same, the No:11 Toyota driver recalled advice he has gotten from three times Cup champion Tony Sewart over long-runs. He was told to do everything possible in a long run, if they gets a massive run during races.
When you get runs Tony Stewart always used to tell me do whatever you got to do to keep the run going. When you get a massive run, if you can keep your run going by pushing someone else and then creating another run, do that because you’re attached. That keeps it going and you can bounce from car to car to car. Denny Hamlin said.
The JGR driver is right to say that the racing nowadays no longer depends up on the skills drivers have acquired over time. But at the same time, it is wrong to assume that skills are irrelevant, as unlike in the past a new set of skills ate demanded from the racers to succeed.
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