Denny Hamlin went to the 2.5-mile speedway as a favorite to win. A three-time winner of the 500, a fourth win would have put him alongside Cale Yarborough on the all-time winners list. However, the #11 driver would not find his way to the lead of the pack until the final stage. Not long after he did, he became entangled in the Big One that involved 18 cars on the field with less than 10 laps to go. He ultimately ended the day in 19th position, having led 10 laps.

There’s trouble at the front of the field! #DAYTONA500 pic.twitter.com/6wVECKKWY1

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 20, 2024

Martin Truex Jr. was last year’s regular season champ. He started the race from 27th position and climbed up the ladder expertly. He finished Stage 1 at 9th position behind Hamlin who ran 7th at the time. He followed that up with a 14th-place finish in Stage 2. The final stage saw him be a part of the same wreck that caught Hamlin. He ended the race 15th and took home 24 points.

Ty Gibbs was the worst performer of the day for Joe Gibbs Racing. He began his run from 15th on the grid and dropped down as the race progressed. Trailing his teammates for most of the race he finished the day at 17th place ahead of Hamlin. He led no laps and cashed in 20 points for his efforts.

Christopher Bell continues being the face of Joe Gibbs Racing

The #20 Toyota Camry driver started the Daytona 500 from 4th on the grid. He pretty much led his teammates for much of the race but fell back multiple positions towards the end of Stage 2. The two wrecks that engulfed the field helped him find his way to the top during the final stage. End of the day, only Joey Logano led more laps (45) than Bell. The JGR driver’s Camry was one of the cars that were left unaffected by the final stage’s Big One and helped him to the checkered flag.

Results from this year’s #DAYTONA500

P3 – @CBellRacing
P15 – @MartinTruex_Jr
P17 – @TyGibbs
P19 – @dennyhamlin pic.twitter.com/mDvKKDUOV6

— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) February 20, 2024

Despite the top-five finish, Bell doesn’t see things as ideal. He said in his post-race interview, “We showed a lot of pace between the Duel and the early part of the race. When we had track position, we were fast. But I don’t know. Didn’t go our way and we need to study it.” Bell and his team will have their next shot at the victory lane on February 25 in Atlanta.

The post At a Glance: How the Daytona 500 Went Down for Joe Gibbs Racing appeared first on The SportsRush.

He said on Actions Detrimental after winning the 2024 Busch Light Clash earlier this month, “You hear them [drivers] say, ‘I don’t know why this person was knocking me out of the way’, for 6th place with 3 laps to go. We are not gonna win. We are battling for 6th! But at that moment you’re like, ‘I wanna get top-5!’. It doesn’t mean s***.” 

NASCAR’s point system awards drivers based on their finishing positions in every Cup Series race. With 40 points being the highest one can get, the last five cars to get into the line get 1 point each. So, in a regular points race the final position that a driver attains does matter a lot. However, Hamlin’s contention was with the Clash, a non-points race, in mind.

He continued, “We are just so much smarter after we take off the helmet. In the sense that we are like, ‘Probably shouldn’t have done that’, or whatever it might have been. But we just are always battling for every spot because we think one spot matters and in the Clash it really doesn’t.”

“We’re just so much smarter after we take off the helmet.” pic.twitter.com/iHzXmfQg3b

— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) February 8, 2024

The importance of finishing position in the Daytona 500 and Dwayne Johnson’s show of support to Hamlin

Following the Busch Light Clash, the Daytona 500 was scheduled to be run on Sunday, February 18. Due to weather-related issues, the race has been pushed and is now set to begin at 4:30 p.m. ET on Monday. Hamlin will be starting the race from 8th on the grid when Dwayne “Rock” Johnson gives the command for drivers to start the engine.

As Hamlin will agree, the upcoming race is one in which the finishing position will matter the most for what it means in addition to points is a share of the $28 million purse.

Ahead of the scheduled race, Johnson spoke of Hamlin and said, “One of the cool things that being a great bad guy and a great villain offers — and this is my advice to Denny, is not only do you embrace it but you also get the opportunity to say and do a lot of things that people can’t.” He continued comparing his image in the world of wrestling with that of Hamlin in NASCAR and showed a strong sign of support for the JGR star’s effort.

The post “It Doesn’t Mean SH*T”: Denny Hamlin on Psychology Behind Seemingly Stupid NASCAR Behaviour appeared first on The SportsRush.

He said to Fox Sports in a recent interview, “I attest the award to my family’s history in the sport.” The Elliott family, including Bill and his brothers (Ernie and Dan), is beloved throughout the racing fandom for their simple beginnings and rise-to-the-top story. Chase explained, “They were just a small-town group of guys who set out with a big dream. They were a super easy group to pull forward because a lot of people could relate to them.”

Not surprisingly, Bill won the Most Popular Driver award a record 16 times. Such was his fame that he had to withdraw his name from the ballot to give others a chance after winning it in 2002.

Chase Elliott is looking to bounce back after a tough 2023. He talks with Tom Rinaldi. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/KyWQFfCi2X

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 18, 2024

Continuing the legacy of keeping popularity in the family, Elliott could not be more grateful to his fans. He quipped, “I have been super fortunate that a lot of folks have been supportive of mine over the years.” His streak of winning the award began in 2018 and has been kept alive thus far. Going into 2024, he will be hoping to find his form behind the wheel after a lackluster 2023 season and provide a worthy spectacle to those who support him.

Chase Elliott’s take on the criticisms that surround him and how he approaches it

Despite the love that he receives from fans, Elliott has been hit with complaints of impulsiveness several times over his career. He has been entangled in situations with drivers including Denny Hamlin and his teammate Kyle Larson which have drawn a negative light. However, he is in the clear about how much of all that affects him.

“To be totally honest, as you ride that roller coaster and you see the top of the mountain and you see the bottom of it too, it teaches you what really matters,” he says. For him, what that is is the expectation that he sets of himself and that his close friends and family set. “The rest of it doesn’t matter,” he concluded.

The post What Chase Elliott Really Thinks About Being the Most Popular Driver in NASCAR appeared first on The SportsRush.

During the pre-race interview ahead of the Daytona 500, Busch stated that one never knows if or when one will get slammed with the title of NASCAR’s ‘bad boy’. However, according to him, it’s not about considering the villain or the hero that has made Hamlin what he is today.

“The way that he (Denny Hamlin) continues to perform; that’s what is really drawing the action,” said Busch. “It’s not criticism, it’s not being a villain, it’s not being a hero…it’s just the performance.”

“He’s handled it in a unique way…I mean, he’s an owner, a driver, he’s got his podcast, he’s a dad…there’s so many things that he is doing well right now. I’m gonna do whatever I can do to support him, support our team, and keep this train moving,” he added.

Kurt Busch gives back to the military for their service

Recently, the Veteran Tickets Foundation (Vet Tix) and Kurt Busch partnered up to commemorate the contributions of active military personnel in the US Army. As a part of a collaboration between NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports tracks, the 2004 Cup Series champion will be promoting Vet Tix throughout the entire season.

“Vet Tix is honored to continue to partner with Kurt Busch and NASCAR tracks to support our members of the military, veterans, and their families by creating memories and sending them to races through this enduring partnership,” exclaimed the founder and CEO of Vet Tix and also a U.S. Navy Veteran, Michael A. Focareto III.

For Busch, the military history of America has been an inspiration. “The men and women who have served give me the inspiration to be the best I can be. To all that have served and are currently serving, I want to thank you and commemorate your service with tickets to every NASCAR race. I can’t thank @VetTix enough for all they do for our military,” he admitted.

Over my years of racing, I have been inspired by our military history. The men and women who have served, give me the inspiration to be the best I can be. To all that have served and are currently serving, I want to thank you, and commemorate your service with tickets to every… pic.twitter.com/8sMJtv3pjG

— Kurt Busch (@KurtBusch) February 18, 2024

Earlier, Busch had made several public appearances at racetracks and military events alongside the war veterans and current military individuals. For a long time, Kurt Busch has donated NASCAR passes to Vet Tix on numerous occasions.

The post Why Is Denny Hamlin Subjected to Hate by NASCAR Fans? Kurt Busch Gives His Take appeared first on The SportsRush.

For the Grammy-winning rap artist, being underdogs is a blessing for the Chevy team. “For Trackhouse to be underdogs, that was a beautiful thing in the beginning but we’ll forever be underdogs,” said the ‘Timber’ star.

“That’s why we’ll fight the way that we fight, and we’ll continue to build the way that we build.”

Trackhouse Racing Co-Owner & Entertainer Pitbull described the rise that the team has endured since its inception in 2021.

"We'll forever be underdogs. That's why we'll fight the way that we fight, and we'll continue to build the way that we build."

@BruceMartin_500 pic.twitter.com/YjZDQ3mHy6

— SPEED SPORT (@SPEEDSPORT) February 18, 2024

According to Justin Marks’ partner, words like ‘can’t’, ‘don’t’, and ‘impossible’ only translate to ‘can’, ‘do’, and ‘possible’. “When you bring that mentality to a whole sport who is hungry to feed the world and teach different cultures and different communities that hey, there’s opportunities, then you’re in the ultimate world of do good and be well,” he added with confidence.

Pitbull might not see Trackhouse Racing the way Hamlin sees his team. However, Hamlin did receive the green flag of ‘The Rock’. And that’s because of the former’s villainous demeanor.

‘The Rock’ feels like Denny Hamlin is doing the greatest thing in the world

Denny Hamlin has been arguably the most booed driver lately. But he doesn’t care about it at all. And for the global superstar Dwayne Johnson, who has been in the good and the bad books of the WWE fans, that is the greatest thing in the world. Johnson feels like Hamlin should make it a part of his persona.

“Everybody wants to be a good guy or good girl. Everyone wants to be loved and cheered and considered the hero, which is great and it’s natural; it’s just human psychology and desire,” said the Daytona 500 Grand Marshal.

However, seldom does an athlete come across the opportunity to be a great bad guy, he explained. Might seem like a bit of an oxymoron. However, it looks like Hamlin is doing quite well being the “great bad guy”. It’s surely a good thing that The Rock will be the Grand Marshal for Monday’s race at the Daytona International Speedway and will watch Denny Hamlin race it out and perhaps be the bad guy on the 2.5-mile, trioval race track in hopes of winning his fourth Daytona 500.

The post Why Pitbull Is Taking a Different Approach to NASCAR Team Ownership Than Denny Hamlin appeared first on The SportsRush.

Hamlin has run in 18 Daytona 500s in his career. Of these, he has won 3 and led the most laps in 4. Should he lead the most laps in the coming edition of the race, he will be the first to be a lap leader 5 times in event history. The total number of laps that he has led in the #11 amounts to 480. That puts him in the top 5 list of drivers who’ve led the most laps in the Daytona 500.

Brad Keselowski, on the other hand, has run in 14 of the 65 races thus far. Though the winning column has been empty for the RFK Racing co-owner of late, he did lead the most laps in the season opener of the last two years. He led 67 laps in 2022 and 42 laps in 2023. In the scenario that he does so once again this year, he will have the longest laps-led streak in event history. 

Something to watch for in the 2024 Daytona 500

If Denny Hamlin leads the most laps, it’ll be the 5th time he’s done so in the race, more than anyone in history.

If Brad Keselowski leads the most laps, it’ll be the 3rd straight year he’s done so, the longest streak in history. pic.twitter.com/qD2EJBaLeg

— Trey Ryan (@TreyRyan99) February 17, 2024

How do Hamlin and Keselowski hold up next to Daytona 500 master Richard Petty?

Comparing these two star-drivers to a legendary counterpart from yesteryear, the differences are stark. Richard “King” Petty mastered the Daytona 500 game in his day and won it 7 times but that’s not all he did. He holds the record for the most laps led in a single Daytona 500 (184/200 in 1964). He also sits at the pinnacle with a total of 780 laps led in the race, a tough figure to overcome for both Hamlin and Keselowski.

While Hamlin is up there closer to Petty, Keselowski has led a total of 177 laps in his Daytona 500 appearances. He says of it, “I would trade all the laps led for a lead on the last lap, I can tell you that.” Retiring his career without this feather on his cap will be a strong pill to take regardless of other achievements. While lap records are certainly enticing rewards, when the green flag is waved the racers will be driving more to add on to their victory lane visits in the superspeedway.

The post Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski on the Cusp of Daytona 500 History in Incredible Record appeared first on The SportsRush.

“LeBron comes into a home area, people boo the sh-t out of him. He makes them feel a certain way. They may say he sucks, but they know better. I think that that’s the case with me,” he added. Hamlin’s usher into the infamous villain arc arguably started when he nudged his golf buddy Kyle Larson during last year’s Highpoint.com 400 at Pocono Raceway. And after that every time he was introduced, he got nothing but boos. But he could care the least for them. Hamlin realizes that he will probably never win the NMPA Most Popular Driver award. However, he is not bothered by that.

“While I’m not NASCAR’s most popular driver or probably even in the top five, you’re not going to argue that when they call my name this weekend, where does the most noise come from?” Hamlin exclaimed. “It could be good or bad, it doesn’t matter. It’s noise. It makes someone feel a certain way for a certain reason. So I’ve just embraced that.”

After having won The Clash at The Coliseum, Hamlin sets his eyes on his fourth Daytona win this year. And he seems to not be in a mood to be humble about it. He said, “I do believe I have humility in certain situations. I just do not want to let anyone see that humility.”

Denny Hamlin reveals his goals for 23XI Racing

Safe to say, last year went pretty great for 23XI Racing. Hamlin’s pride knew no bounds when both his drivers, Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick, made it to the playoffs. However, while Reddick managed to advance to the round of 8s, Wallace got chucked out of contention in the round of 12.

Therefore, the goal for this year is to get both the cars in the top 8. In an episode of his podcast, Hamlin said, “Our expectation is to continue to get better. That’s a very vague statement. You know, just two cars in the playoffs, that’s way too modest, for what we have going on there. So my goal would be to have both cars, at least both cars in the Final 8.”

The goal after that would be to get at least one car in the Championship 4 in the first five years since the birth of the team. But Hamlin knows better than just getting ahead of himself. Rome wasn’t built in a day. And Hamlin knows that it will take steady steps for him to achieve his goal.

For this year, those steps include adding newer resources, and engineering personnel and capitalizing on the newly constructed facility. According to him, the expectations from his team shouldn’t be any lower than what is expected of Joe Gibbs Racing. Sure, that is some pressure for Wallace and Reddick.

The post Denny Hamlin Compares Himself to LeBron James, Reveals Why NASCAR Fans Hate Him appeared first on The SportsRush.

In a recent interview, Wallace opened up on the fine balance between being selfish and being a team player on a racetrack such as Daytona. “When I got over there, you didn’t really see much teamwork amongst the Toyotas. So I’m like, ‘Hey, I feel like the other manufacturers are kicking our tail by working together a little bit better.’ Then I felt like we started to overdo it,” he described.

“We were trying to form a pack around 25th and that’s like, ‘What are we doing?'”

Wallace continued, “So Denny and I had a short conversation, going through all of our meetings and stuff and I was like, ‘Hey, your Netflix comments stood out and he said, it’s hard to win these things when you’re not being selfish. I’ve won three of them by being selfish.’ And you’re like, ‘He’s right.'”

The #23 driver revealed that within Toyota, they’re “adjusting” so that other manufacturers don’t win the 500 this Sunday. And when it comes to him and Hamlin, he is aware of the one thing he can learn from his boss to become a better racecar driver on plate tracks.

“I think for me, Denny and I make great choices or great moves to get to the front. Denny makes all the right ones to stay at the front. That’s where I lack. I’m one move behind and I get shoved to the back and I have to play catch up,” Wallace claimed.

“I think that’s what’s holding us back, if we can put that together, I think we’ll be good.”

.@BubbaWallace has learned a ton from his boss @dennyhamlin when it comes to superspeedway racing.

But knows where he needs to improve.

“Denny & I make great choices & great moves to get to the front. Denny makes all the right ones to stay at the front. That’s where I lack.” pic.twitter.com/xfbcwQpSUj

— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) February 16, 2024

What is Denny Hamlin expecting from Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick in 2024?

Today, 23XI Racing is one of the fastest-growing organizations in NASCAR. But in the coming season, Denny Hamlin wants his organization to take the next step. It’s no secret that Hamlin wants 23XI to be a championship contender as soon as possible but Hamlin is also realistic. And that reflects in his yearly goals for Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick as well.

“Our expectation is to continue to get better. That’s a very vague statement,” Hamlin said recently on his podcast. “Just two cars in the playoffs, that’s way too modest, for what we have going on there.

“So my goal would be to have both cars, at least both cars in the Final 8.”

Hamlin claimed that his goal for 2024 would be in line with the bigger goal of having one of the cars, either Bubba Wallace or Tyler Reddick in the final 4 by 2025.

The post Ahead of the Daytona 500, Why Denny Hamlin Wants Bubba Wallace to Be Selfish appeared first on The SportsRush.

Months after the debate on the subject Gordon recently clarified his take, appearing on the Dale Jr. Download. The question of what he considered acceptable behavior for his drivers was discussed with Dale Jr., and the 4X Cup Series champion answered, “Love to see guys have personality. I go back to my career and it came through opportunities, the things that I did with Pepsi.”

He continued, “The way we do things is definitely at a high professional level to get the most out of the race team and the race car. So to me, there’s a fine line between showing your personality, being professional, and then doing things that, you know, kind of create conflict.” Gordon’s take lined up with his previous idea that having a personality as brash as Hamlin did could be detrimental to the team.

How does Hendrick Motorsports want their drivers to showcase their personality?

https://t.co/Bqw49H8KPs pic.twitter.com/g2ax4GQK9b

— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) February 15, 2024

“Thank god I don’t drive for him”: Denny Hamlin’s criticism of Gordon’s opinion

The bout between the two icons Gordon and Hamlin began when the former appeared on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and expressed that he respected how the latter was building his brand but just wouldn’t want any of his drivers at the HMS compound following the path.

Hamlin said on his podcast in response, “What he’s saying is that, ‘I like it, but I don’t like my guys to do it.’ Well, that sounds like a guy that I don’t want to go to war with. Like, I’ll go to war, but you get upfront.” He continued that Gordon’s thought was how you stunt NASCAR’s growth.

Hamlin has largely accepted and blanketed himself with the image of a villain that has been cast on him over these last few years. He was harshly critical of NASCAR and a few fellow contenders on his Actions Detrimental in 2023 and doesn’t appear to be changing gears anytime soon. 

He was staunch in his beliefs when he said: “I will never run my team saying things like that. That’s his opinion. He’s allowed to have that opinion. But certainly think that that’s the absolute wrong way to go if you want star power in this sport.”

The post Jeff Gordon-Denny Hamlin Feud: NASCAR Legend Comes Clean on Statement Criticizing JGR Driver appeared first on The SportsRush.

Talking to Dale Earnhardt Jr. on his podcast, Gordon said, “They [Formula 1] are truly sharing in the revenues and they’re sharing in the ideas and philosophies and looking at you know how do we grow you know together?” He continued to express how the transparency that the sanctioning body across the pond showed helped teams focus on growing the sport internationally instead of worrying about the revenue.

Here in NASCAR, however, teams are mainly concerned with appeasing the stomachs of their sponsors because that’s their main source of revenue. Gordon believes that this balance needs to change with the new charter agreement. He continued, “I think that what we need to do is get to a place where we’re focused on not only taking care of our sponsors and winning races but how do we collectively grow the sport and and and have a broader reach.”

The main issue of transparency that is pulling back the charter agreement

One of the key issues that pull the NASCAR agreement behind is the lack of transparency regarding the total revenue that the promotion generates. 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin said of this last month, “Once you figure out the financials — and there has to be transparency to figure out the financials — then you could work on all the other languages.” 

Even with the new media deal worth $7.7 billion, NASCAR has refused to reveal the economic particulars to teams. Reports suggest that teams are unwilling to reach a common ground without understanding the overall revenue generated. NASCAR President Steve Phelps assured last November that things were in a good place and a deal would be reached soon.

Positive Vibes Only

What’s the status of NASCAR’s charter deal? ‍

Subscribe to Actions Detrimental: https://t.co/gQkmEqk460 pic.twitter.com/26Qw6rV698

— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) January 31, 2024

Several meetings have passed since and there hasn’t been a show of light yet. In a recent Actions Detrimental episode, Hamlin said, “We tried to start these conversations two years ago and it’s just been delay, delay, delay. So now here we are at the end of the rope. Do I believe we are closer to a deal now than 12 months ago? I don’t think so.”

The post Jeff Gordon Highlights F1 Model Amid Internal NASCAR Conflict appeared first on The SportsRush.