TOYOTA NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS)
Denny Hamlin — Notes & Quotes
Richmond International Raceway – September 7, 2012
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing How was final practice? “This is the first time coming back here with the shorter skirts and I think it’s got a little bit of an affect on the cars. I think everyone’s struggling with their car mainly on corner entry. You have to change your setups basically for these skirts that have been cut down. Most of practice was a struggle to get the balance where we wanted it, but our speed has always been decent so we’re fairly happy with that.”
Does this year feel like 2010 all over again? “Not really. There’s been a lot of differences. We’ve got a lot more DNF’s this year because of things happening. In the win column we’re a little bit shy — more top-fives which means we’re more competitive. I think for the most part we feel like we’ve got a great shot. In 2010, I felt like going into the Chase we had one of the best cars and I think we’re going to have that again this year going into the Chase.”
Will Saturday be a wild race? “The thing is when you come to Richmond in the fall everyone has got a different agenda. For us, it’s to do everything we can to win and get bonus points and it’s the same for the other 10 guys in our position right now. I think that those guys that are having a race within a race are obviously going to drive probably a little bit more aggressive, but you’ve just got to know that when you’re around them.”
Why have you been running so well lately? “The reason we’re running well is our cars are getting better. Me and Darian’s (Grubb, crew chief) relationship is getting better, our communication is getting better and I think we’re starting to figure out what we need out of each other and that’s obviously translating into better driving race cars on the race track. We made some minor changes with the pit crew and things like that and everything seems to be gelling the way it should right now.”
Do you think you are peaking at the right time? “This is the time we want to run well. I wouldn’t want to peak any other time.”
Why do you think drivers who finish runner-up in the Chase seem to struggle the next season? “I know why we struggled last year. I don’t know the ins and outs of the organization in the 99 (Carl Edwards), but if you look he’s had a ton of bad luck. He ran out of fuel, blown engines and things like that, and that’s some stuff that we had last year. I don’t put it on the driver that struggles in the following season because ultimately if you’ve got fast race cars all of these drivers are going to win with them. It just seems like everyone seems to struggle the next year for whatever reason.”
Are you more mentally prepared for the Championship this year after 2010? “I think so. I feel like I’m as mentally tough as I’ve ever been. I feel like I’m more focused than I’ve ever been. It’s tough to say what will happen and circumstances will change, but I feel like I’m at the top of my game right now and I feel like every part of my race team is at the top of their game. There’s no limit on what we can do for the next 10 races.”
Do you enjoy coming back home to Richmond International Raceway? “It’s fun, especially under these circumstances. And, even last year it was tough because we were one of those iffy wild card cars so that was stressful. Coming back here with really nothing to lose but a race, I feel like this is a lot more fun. There’s less stress, so you obviously get to spend a little bit more time with friends and family than you would otherwise.”
How do you deal with bad luck? “I just learned that you can only change what you can control. For me, last year I was bummed out when we had bad luck and things like that, but it was things like that that I couldn’t change. All I could do is concentrate on doing the best job I could and whatever the team brings me as a race car and Toyota brings me as an engine is what I’ve got to work with and I’m going to do the best I can with all of that equipment.”
Do you think Richmond has an All-Star feel to it for the guys already qualifying for the Chase? “For 10 guys, it’s definitely going to be a lot more fun than it is for the other six or so that are battling for the wild card. I don’t know that it really has an All-Star type feel because with the All-Star you are bringing kind of one-off cars and things like that. I think right now everyone is bringing the best of what they have to try to see what they’re going to have for the Chase. You’re going to get probably a good idea of who you’re going to have to battle once we leave here.”
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing (continued) Are you happy with your mile-and-a-half program? “I think that is really the strong point of our program right now is the mile-and-a-halves. We were strong on the short tracks early in my career and now Darian (Grubb, crew chief) has kind of shifted us to being pretty good on the mile-and-a-halves. That’s really where you’re going to have to win these championships. The only x-factor is you’re going to a race track like Kansas that is freshly paved and nobody knows what is going to happen. I consider that a very big track position, wild card type of race. You almost have got four really mile-and-a-half race tracks where you’re going to run basically the same setups that you’ve been successful with the most part of the summer.”
Can a driver again accomplish what Tony Stewart did last year in the Chase? “I think that those were a lot of unique circumstances that Tony (Stewart) accomplished. I think that they had a lot of good fortune and had a lot of perfect time, but they also stepped up their program and had fast cars. I’ve talked with Darian about what magic they possibly had and we’ll keep that to ourselves, but hopefully we’ve got some of that in store for them these next few.”
How many wins will it take to win the championship this year? “I think the guy that wins the championship will probably have two — maybe three races that he wins in the Chase. The five that Tony (Stewart) put together was an absurd amount. I understand everyone wants to use that as optimism that, ‘Okay, Tony did it so we’re going to do it this year,’ but those are the circumstances that never happen. We’re going to count on all out speed and what we’ve got to bring us a championship.”
Do you feel a sense of urgency to win the championship this year? “No more urgency than in previous years. The only reason is that I’m not in my mid-40s — no offense to all of the drivers that are. I’ve got some time. I know I’m with a race team that’s very capable of winning a championship for years to come, but you want to jump on all of those opportunities that you have that okay when you are the best car of the field — not to say that we are. We’ll know when we leave here where we stack up and I think that if we have another good, solid run this weekend it’s going to be expected of us to win the championship, and I will expect it of us.”
Are there any areas that your team needs to improve on before the Chase? “Not really. As far as personnel, I feel like we’re great. Everything is really, really good. It’s just about bringing better cars. We’re going to have to continue to keep rising that bar of better cars at the race track if we’re going to compete for a championship. I think that you’re not going to go out there and win the championship at Homestead (Miami Speedway) if you’re racing the same technology that you raced in the spring of this year. It’s going to continue to evolve. I think we’re capable of doing that and we have a plan going forward to evolve. It’s just hopefully those things are all positives and not negatives.”
Is getting the first win on your home track more of a mental thing? “Not really. As a driver, you’re only going to be able to drive as fast as your car is going to let you. A lot of times when you have the fastest car you can put 50 percent of the drivers in there and they will be able to get the job done. It’s about that communication to get your car to that point that’s crucial. It’s a little bit of a hurdle, but in Elliott Sadler’s case I think he’s got his best shot this weekend.”
What would it mean if two Virginia guys to won both titles this season? “It’s possible, but I can’t think about that until we get to Miami. That’s jumping way too far ahead for me. I’m going to constantly think throughout this Chase — I’m going to think week to week and I’m not going to care about what’s going to happen next week or the following week or what’s the repercussions of what we do. It’s going to be about that particular week and what I can do to win.”
