Denny Hamlin predicts ‘resurgence’ year for Joey Logano

Denny Hamlin believes Joey Logano is headed for a bounce-back season in 2024, even if the duo doesn’t always see eye-to-eye.

During the latest episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin stated his belief that Logano may not be too happy with him, as he took his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Ty Gibbs’ side at times as he tried to make sense of their beef during NASCAR’s Clash at the Coliseum.

However, Hamlin at least put some praise on the two-time champion’s name, believing that Logano will be a force to be reckoned with in 2024, after his title-defense fell short of expectations last season.

“Joey probably didn’t love this podcast, but I gave him props last week. I do believe this is a — this could be a big Joey Logano resurgence year,” Hamlin stated. “I mean, he was in contention to win (The Clash), or had a chance to win. He wasn’t the best car, the No. 54 was. But I am, I am going to be fair, and I believe Joey’s in for a big year.”

Logano was fast during The Clash, running up front until his issue with Gibbs took precedent, but Hamlin was able to snatch the victory last weekend. Now, everyone has turned their attention to the Daytona 500, a race Hamlin has won multiple times, while Logano has also gone to Victory Lane there once.

Regardless, Denny Hamlin isn’t counting out Joey Logano in 2024. His ability is among the best in the sport, and the respect is there between the two veteran drivers.

Denny Hamlin compares Ty Gibbs, Joey Logano feud to Ross Chastain rivalry

Moreover, Denny Hamlin knows a thing or two about NASCAR rivalries, and he harkened back to one of his more recent beefs as he tried to make sense of the Ty Gibbs-Joey Logano war of words.

Hamlin’s teammate in Gibbs and his longtime peer Logano have been going at it since the end of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season, and they rekindled their fire during The Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum last weekend. 

During the latest episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin compared Gibbs and Logano’s beef to his recent sparring match with Ross Chastain, believing it’s not going away anytime soon 

“This thing has got Denny Hamlin-Ross Chastain written all over it,” Hamlin stated. “I mean, it’s — it’s just brewing. It just keeps going. The two just keep going at it. 

“I don’t know. It’s my job here to be as unbiased as I can. I feel like I give all drivers fair shakes. It’s a little bit different with Ty, because he is a teammate. He’s someone that travels with me weekly. But also, I will not be afraid to call a spade a spade, if I see Ty doing something that’s blatantly wrong. … It seems like this has just been brewing for awhile, and they just can’t get on the same page to call it good. I understand that right? Me and Chastain went on for quite awhile, where we just could not see eye-to-eye, but this is just a unique situation, for sure.”

That’s a fascinating comparison, and perhaps something for Logano and Gibbs to aspire to, as it seems like Hamlin and Chastain have settled their differences