Toyota Racing – Denny Hamlin
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes
CONCORD, North Carolina (October 11, 2020) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin was made available to media via videoconference in advance of the race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course:
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Are you are prepared to run in the same conditions that the Xfinity Series ran in?
“I think that they will monitor track conditions. We got a long message from them last night after the Xfinity Series race about some things they would change or do different. No one’s prepared to run in puddles on the race track, so I think they will monitor that and make sure it’s legit driving conditions.”
How much do you think you will need a win in the next round?
“I don’t know. I don’t know if we will need too, but we will certainly need to run really well. I don’t know. I think we will just have to play it by ear. I think after the first race, we will have a better idea of – it’s a little easier to predict the guys that will be winners or points guys after that.”
What at Kansas works so well for you?
“Well, I have a good setup. That’s all that I can equate it to. In years past, Kansas has not always been a strong suit. Mile-and-a-halves in general haven’t been a super strong suit for most of career. I don’t know. You could argue the statistics and wins would say otherwise, but it seems like on the mile-and-a-halves we’ve got a really good package or setup going that seems to be working. We nearly won Vegas, and that was the track that – if we could finish in the top-15, I was going to be happy. I adjust my expectations based on how I feel after the first 10 laps of the race. I’m confident. I feel like we’ve got a good grasp on Kansas. Nothing really much has changed other than the tire, which that tire was run at Vegas, so it looks like we’ve accounted for it pretty good in our setup. I’m as optimistic as anyone going into that race track.”
What is the point for you where you would like to see NASCAR jump in on weather conditions today?
“They did once yesterday. The issues were once the caution falls and the cars would stop going around the race track and the rain would pick up, the track would form puddles in certain spots. Big, big puddles. I mentioned on social media last night. This is not a purpose-built road course. The drainage is not made for it. We tried to spice up the Charlotte oval by making us go through the infield and through parking lots. This is just a tough place given the conditions. You’re going to need very light rain for us to be able to run without it being a complete shit show.”
Would you like to NASCAR postpone the race tomorrow?
“It’s not up to me, but I mentioned to them that people’s seasons are on the line. Good and bad. Ours isn’t, but I could not imagine having to either protect points or gain points in crazy conditions, such as what we had. You could argue it is the same for everyone, but how are we supposed to predict a puddle or a stream running across the race track. Add a jump to the backstretch and it would be complete.”
How happy are you that you don’t have to worry about points today?
“I certainly have the tone to be able to send the first three rows into Heartburn Turn right off the bat by starting on pole (laughter). I don’t know. It’s going to be the blind leading the blind. I’m sure there is going to be some guys that are going to be pretty aggressive early on, but I don’t know that I will particularly be one of them but I’m very, very happy and blessed that I don’t have to worry about finishing first or last today.”
Can you talk about your relationship with David Wilson (President, TRD U.S.A.) has changed over the years?
“Toyota and TRD is a very hands on manufacturer. As they like to say, they are not check writers, they like to be integrated in teams. They like to be partners with their race teams, and I kind of knew Dave simply through the JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) relationship on the competition side, so I really didn’t have a strong – I knew David, I talked to David quite a bit, but never really grew that partnership until we started talking about this race team, and from that point on, I guess he’s probably one of my favorites in my phone at this point. We’ve grown that. We understand each other’s vision and I think that certainly it’s been a partnership that has grown very quickly in a very short amount of time. So, I’m very happy to form that relationship with him and hopefully expand upon their future in NASCAR.”
Next weekend, you are returning to a 550-track. Can you compare the difference in passing with this package compared to the previous package?
“It’s easier and it’s harder. It just depends. I think that it allows you to protect more as the leader, however the runs come. Even if the car behind you is slower with the draft – especially on restarts – it’s easier to pass. I think the net gain or loss is about the same through high downforce or low downforce. At some of these race tracks, if you slowed us up just five MPHs more you would have even more drafting, even more slingshot passes. Things like that. The package is just perfect at some places. It needs tweaking at others, but I think these teams and manufacturers want to keep things a little bit simpler when it comes to rule packages. I know Goodyear is trying to keep things a little simpler on the tires side, reducing d codes and what not. It’s really helping with costs, but I don’t know that going back to a low downforce package on the 550’s is necessarily the right thing. I think that we have all adapted. Passing, while difficult, it was difficult before, so we have all adapted.”
Do you think hydroplaning is going to be an issue today? Have you ever had that issue in the race car?
“Not that I know of. The only time that I remember ever hydroplaning in a race car would be at my local short track when they don’t have jet dryers and they would drag tires around the race track to get it hot and get it dried up, and we would go out there in our race cars to help dry the race track and streams of water would be running across the track and you would hit them and everything just takes off, but it’s a much smaller stream than what we were seeing yesterday. That was more of a weather issue yesterday that I saw. A lot of the runoffs were running from a much higher point, but it was running across the Roval in different spots. Very, very difficult. I can’t imagine, but I will here in just aa few hours.”
As a new team owner, do you think you would like to see the driver’s council return? How is communication with NASCAR?
“I could see it both ways. It used to be those meetings were held annually, then semi-annually, then it was quarterly, and now they have more of a direct contact with us through GroupMe. The dialogue is open each and every day, where the drivers give input, NASCAR gives input and changes as well. So, it’s actually quicker now than ever. I know for instance the tire. The big change for the Kansas, Texas, and Las Vegas tire. All of the drivers hated it. It was an awful tire. The side wall was way too stiff. It was not good. That feedback was given to them right away, and they made that change. That would have been something that would have happened in the next quarter meeting. They got that feedback instantly. They were able to go to Goodyear, get another tire made and implement before the season was over. Normally, that tire wouldn’t have been able to move till next year, so if anything, it’s not totally necessary. I think they are doing a good job of it. The big major hitters, the marketing side of things, the social side of things, they will still have those meetings, I’m sure next year, once the COVID stuff settles down, but as far as the competition side, I think they have a good grasp on it now.”
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