Denny Hamlin is confident in his driver Bubba Wallace’s potential ahead of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season.
During his latest Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin evaluated where many of his peers could finish in the point standings in 2024, predicting whether they’d finish above of below an arbitrary number. For Wallace, that number was P10, and Hamlin believes Wallace will finish better than that in 2024.
“I’m going to say better,” Hamlin simply stated, making his belief in the 23XI Racing wheelman official ahead of the Daytona 500.
Evidently, Hamlin believes Wallace can finish as a top-tier driver in 2024. If you finish in the top ten, that basically means you’re in the Round of 8 — only the best of the best in the Cup Series make it to that round, and Hamlin believes Wallace can do that.
Moreover, it makes sense for Hamlin to expect Wallace to take a leap in 2024. He’s made jumps little by little each season since taking his talents to 23XI Racing, and perhaps this will be the season his career truly takes off.
Regardless, it all comes down to the man behind the wheel. Starting with the Daytona 500 on Sunday, we’ll see if Bubba Wallace can make good on Denny Hamlin’s belief in him.
Denny Hamlin ‘bugged’ by what Bubba Wallace said in Netflix show
Meanwhile, Denny Hamlin admitted he didn’t like something Bubba Wallace said during NASCAR: Full Speed. As a NASCAR team owner and driver, Hamlin wears many hats, but he takes his ownership role very seriously.
When Hamlin brought Michael Jordan into the sport and formed 23XI Racing, there was a five-year plan. In five years, have a driver in the Championship 4. Compete for a championship.
This year, Denny Hamlin’s outfit had both drivers in the playoffs. Bubba made it to the Round of 12, finishing 10th overall. Tyler Reddick was in the Round of 8, and finished 6th overall.
That’s where the problem lies, Hamlin didn’t like the perception Bubba put on 23XI in the docuseries, as he detailed on Actions Detrimental this week.
“It bugged me a little bit when I watched the Netflix thing, and Bubba, he’s always got this chip on his shoulder,” Hamlin said. “He says, ‘We’re not supposed to be here.’ I was like, ‘Yeah you are. I expect you to be here.’ Just because a few fans don’t think you’re good enough personally to get there. You absolutely have everything that it takes to be a top-10 point guy, and then you figure out how to get a little better every single year. Then you start chipping away. ‘Okay, I’m gonna make the final eight this year.’ Then I’m gonna figure out, okay, where’s my weaknesses, let’s go work on that. And then I’m gonna get my way into the final four.
“It’s a slow and steady progression for sure, but as a team owner I expect my guys to compete for race wins each and every week because I believe we give them to resources to do that.”
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