Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Denny Hamlin claims his high racing IQ puts him in the ‘upper echelon of the most talented guys’

Originally posted on FirstSportz | By Justin P Joy | Last updated 2/10/24

Joe Gibbs Racing veteran Denny Hamlin is one of the most talented drivers of his generation. The Three-time Daytona 500 winner is the most successful NASCAR driver ever to win the Cup title and ranks second in the list of active winningest Cup drivers on the grid behind Kyle Busch. His willingness to take risks and ability to find areas he could take advantage of to race faster has always been a highlight.

While growing up, Hamlin wasn’t the brightest student in the class nor interested in what he was taught at school. He was just interested in racing alongside the on and off-track factors that could affect racing. This helped him to evolve as a driver easily amidst the massive technological change that came into NASCAR in his one-and-a-half decade-long Cup career.

Hamlin believes he has a high racing IQ that helps him to understand all factors around the sport and succeed because having just talent won’t cut it. He pointed out that having this better understanding of the sport makes him one of the elite guys in the garage. The JGR driver added that his better racing IQ isn’t the product of out-studying his opponent but his better understanding.

I think that my racing IQ — not just on the racetrack but off the racetrack, learning what I need to be better — will continue to put me in the upper echelon of the most talented guys. I don’t out-study guys and I don’t think I put in more time than them, but it’s understanding what to look for and what gray areas can I exploit. Hamlin told RACER.

Denny Hamlin could identify the race he could win within ten laps

Earlier in the same interview, Hamlin pointed out that he can easily identify if he has a car capable of winning the race within the first ten laps of the event. He also admitted that, more often than not, he gets the fastest cars of the day.

I usually know within the first 10 laps whether I have a car that’s capable of winning or not. weekends, fortunately for me, I know that we do. But if I go to a track that I know that I’ve got a great history at, great feel at, I know my car is going to be fast that weekend. And there’s things we know, because our team tells us, ‘Hey, we’ve gained a little bit; you’re going to the track with a little bit more than what you had last time.’

Denny Hamlin started the 2024 season on a high note by winning the unofficial season opener, the LA Clash at the Colosseum. he would be hoping this year to be the championship-winning season he has been dreading for a long time.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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