Denny Hamlin explains how Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott are responsible for him becoming the NASCAR heel
Denny Hamlin has now become one of the guys the majority of hardcore fans want to see lose.
Follow Us
Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott (Via IMAGO)
Joe Gibbs Racing veteran Denny Hamlin has embraced the NASCAR new villain persona and has taken up the mantle. Hamlin publicly taunted the fans booing him at Bristol last Sunday following his impressive win. He proclaimed that he had beaten all their favorite drivers, rubbing salt in the wounds of fans who saw their drivers losing.
Hamlin doubled down on his claims later in the press conference and his podcast Dirty Mo Media. He said that he would continue the teasing. The 23XI Racing co-owner pointed out that he has embraced the heel role since he is convinced that winning the most popular driver awards is not viable for him.
In a recent interview, Hamlin pointed out that the fans hold a grudge against him for the multiple run-ins he had with the championship-winning Hendrick Motorsports duo of Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott. Both of them are two of the most popular drivers of the sport. He admitted that the dislike will never disappear as most fans can’t see past those incidents.
“I think the two most popular drivers in our series – Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott – I’ve had run-ins with them. I think fans, in general, won’t let go of those grudges, right? They won’t look past those instances, no matter what. I’ve come to accept there’s just a certain amount of it that will just never go away because, as they see it, on one given weekend, I did their driver wrong,” Hamlin told Motorsports.com.
In case you missed it: Kevin Harvick cherishes the contributions he made to NASCAR
Denny Hamlin hints that NASCAR fandom is too passionate to see past their biases
NASCAR fans are known for their passion and uncompromising support of their favorite drivers. This support sometimes makes them hate their pilot’s rivals. Sometimes, one driver will become a common enemy like Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, and many in the past.
Hamlin, while explaining this point, said that some fans would never be able to look past the bias toward their favorite driver, and this leads to them disregarding other drivers. He backed his argument by highlighting him getting booed on track even if he is a victim in the wreck.
“The proof is in what have been the results since those points in time? Now, when I get wrecked, I get booed. I’m like, ‘Wait a minute, I got wrecked, and I’m getting booed? I didn’t do shit. I’m the victim. That’s just what NASCAR fandom is. There are a group of fans that cannot see past the lens right in front of them, which is, ‘my favorite driver, and that’s all I see,” Hamlin said.
Discover:
Stay Updated!
Justin P Joy
(4859 Articles Published)