Denny Hamlin claims he dropped an astonishing eight pounds during the chaotic race at Daytona

NASCAR racing at Daytona is not for the faint of heart. The scorching temperatures inside the race car can affect a driver’s physical condition. The No. 11 Toyota Camry driver, Denny Hamlin, shared a remarkable feat – his astounding weight loss during a race at Daytona. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver confessed to shedding an astonishing eight pounds throughout the event. 

Daytona International Speedway is a testing ground for NASCAR drivers like no other. Within the confines of their high-speed machines, drivers battle extreme heat, enduring temperatures that can soar well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. This grueling environment can lead to a significant loss in body weight during a race, primarily due to profuse sweating and intense physical exertion.

NASCAR drivers have an ace up their sleeves to battle these severe conditions: the “cool shirt.” This specialized clothing controls a driver’s body temperature and combat the race’s searing heat. However, Hamlin chose to forego this cooling system for a recent Daytona race, which raised eyebrows and resulted in unforeseen results.

Explaining his choice on his Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin said, “We chose not to run a cool shirt yesterday, and that decision has got to be made pretty early in the week. You’ve got to kind of look at the temperature.” Despite his initial confidence in the weather conditions, Hamlin faced a personal challenge of a different kind. He revealed, “I did set a new record for myself for weight loss. I had eight pounds lost from naked before the race to naked after the race.” He added, “That was a record for me.” 

Discover: Denny Hamlin draws parallels between Ryan Blaney’s Daytona wreck and Dale Sr’s tragic crash in 2001

Denny Hamlin claims he was anticipating a Daytona riddled with wreckages

The JGR driver also discussed ongoing research by the University of Florida and Michigan State University. This study aims to uncover the challenges faced by NASCAR drivers, IndyCar, and Formula One racers, emphasizing the demands of heat, race duration, and strenuous activities on weight loss and performance.

Hamlin’s race at Daytona didn’t unfold as he had predicted. He, like many others, anticipated a chaotic and crash-filled event. Speaking candidly about his expectations, Hamlin admitted, “I guess I was wrong. I was wrong. I called for chaos. Wrecks all over the place. Eh…” However, his hopes for dramatic wrecks on the track went largely unfulfilled, challenging his race strategy. 

At one point, Hamlin even tried to escape the mayhem, stating, “There was a point that I pulled out of the pack… I don’t have the track position I really want, so I’m just going to bail here and count on a wreck about to happen and eliminate the odds of being in it, and it just never happened.”

In the end, Hamlin’s hopes for race-altering incidents were dashed. A pit road penalty under green-flag conditions further hindered his performance. He concluded that he was handed a pit road penalty, under green and was just stuck in the back of the pack. Denny Hamlin’s weight loss record and his experience at Daytona underscore the physical and mental challenges that NASCAR drivers face on the track. 

In case you missed it:

• Kyle Petty casts doubt over Kevin Harvick and Bubba Wallace’s chances of succeeding in R-16
• Kyle Petty SLAMS ‘mentally fragile’ Bubba Wallace for refusing to give interviews to media ahead of Daytona

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