Billy Currington to Perform Kentucky Speedway NSCS Quaker State 400 Prerace Concert June 29
Denny Hamlin Taking Lessons Learned Into New Season
Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, has learned plenty of lessons from last season as well as the off season. And he intends to take every bit of that new learning right into the 2013 season.
One of the biggest lessons that Hamlin learned last season was the need for consistency as a race team. And Hamlin definitely wants to banish any inconsistency to the past and focus so that he can focus on that coveted championship prize.
“We’ve won a lot of races year after year,” Hamlin said. “We’re always in the hunt and then something mechanical happens to our cars and it takes us out of the championship.”
“You can’t have any DNFs,” Hamlin continued. “There are no mulligans.”
“Our key in the offseason has been reliability and coming up with a system to make sure our cars are bullet proof when they hit the race track.”
“Things that went wrong with our cars or things that fell off or got loose or whatever, it was human error,” Hamlin said. “You need to take that out of the equation.”
“Hopefully those bugs have been fixed,” Hamlin continued. “We’re working on a new process to make our cars more tough and rigid and making sure they don’t fall apart.”
“To do that, you have to have more than one set of eyes working on your cars,” Hamlin said “We’re hopefully working on some things to make sure that our cars are reliable as the planes you fly in the air.”
Another lesson Hamlin learned, perhaps the hard way last year, is the need to do a better job in his qualifying efforts.
“I always have to learn and keep up with what I need to do,” Hamlin said. “One thing I know I have to work on is qualifying.”
“We greatly improved that last year and Darian (Grubb, crew chief) helped with that a bit,” Hamlin continued. “I’m getting better but the results haven’t always shown that.”
“It’s just a matter of time before we are in the number one spot.”
Hamlin is also hoping to learn some lessons from both of his new teammates, including current teammate Kyle Busch and especially his new teammate Matt Kenseth, in the upcoming season.
“When I knew Matt was coming to Gibbs, we started talking and chatting through text messages quite a bit,” Hamlin said. “I’m so excited to have us on the same track together.”
“I think he’s going to bring a ton of experience,” Hamlin said of his new teammate. “I can’t wait to compare data.”
One other area that Hamlin acknowledged that he needed to pay attention to was learning how to better handle his emotions. And he definitely wants to take that lesson into the new season.
“The biggest lesson I’ve learned would have to be not letting my emotions get to me when something bad happens that I cannot control,” Hamlin said. “I think it’s very important to let your emotions be kept at an even keel and not let things get to you.”
“It’s very hard, especially when I wear my emotions on my sleeve as to my performance,” Hamlin continued. “When I run well, I’m happy and when I don’t, I’m not.”
“That’s tough for all of us as competitors when you have a bad day and not letting it affect you when you are on the race track,” Hamlin said. “I wear my performance on my sleeve.”
“It will be all about managing those emotions and not to get down on the bad days,” Hamlin continued. “That’s another thing that Matt Kenseth will bring because he doesn’t let the bad things get to him.”
In addition to handling the emotions on the track, Hamlin has a whole new set of emotions to deal with in his newest role, parenthood. And Hamlin intends to take those lessons with him on race day as well.
Hamlin and his girlfriend Jordan Fish welcomed daughter Taylor James Hamlin to their world last month. Baby Hamlin, weighing in at six pounds, five ounces, made her arrival during Hamlin’s Daytona testing.
“The experience has been great,” Hamlin said of being a new daddy. “Your outlook changes when you have to leave home and when you have to get home and how excited you are to pull in the drive knowing that you get to see your daughter.”
“So that part of it is cool.”
“She’s sleeping most all the time and in between feedings,” Hamlin said. ““It actually hasn’t been too bad.”
Hamlin, however, admitted that it will definitely be a difficult lesson to bear when he leaves this week to head to Daytona International Speedway for Speedweeks and the start of the 2013 season.
“Leaving the house for sure will be hard,” Hamlin said. “I have solace in knowing in just a few months I’ll get to see her all the time every day.”
Hamlin’s last lesson learned is his strong desire to carry his charitable and philanthropic endeavors into the new season. For the third time in a row, Hamlin will be organizing the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown during the Richmond race weekend.
The race raises funds for the Denny Hamlin Cystic Fibrosis Research Lab at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU.
Last year, Hamlin, through the Foundation that bears his name, gave a multi-year grant of $150,000 for the Children’s Hospital. Funds raised at this year’s race will help train the next generation of CF research scientists.
“The Showdown has had some of the best late model racing in the past,” Hamlin said. “This year will be no different.”
“We’ve invited the region’s finest drivers to compete against some of my Sprint Cup Series friends,” Hamlin continued. “It’s going to be wild.”
“Every dollar we give to cystic fibrosis makes a different,” Hamlin said. “You never know. This could be the year we find a cure.”
So, how does Hamlin sum up all of his life lessons learned as he heads into the brand spanking new season?
“My life is very different now,” Hamlin said. “It’s one of the most gratifying times.”
Unpredictable 2013 Ahead for the Cup Series
The talk of the off-season has been all Gen 6. Yeah, a few drivers have switched rides, but this new car has everyone stoked for the upcoming season. Better racing, more competition and more fans are expected out of arrival of the Gen 6 car and we are less than a week away from finding out if indeed, the Gen 6 car lives up to its hype. There are a million reasons why this car should make fans happy and those reasons will be presented throughout this season.
Who’s Back
Other than a few exceptions, everyone who was in the Cup Series last season, is back again in 2013. Many drivers will be looking to avenge Brad Keselowski after Keselowski took home the championship last season. Jimmie Johnson is looking for revenge this season as he tries to beat Keselowski after Keselowski barely beat him in 2012. The competition will be even better this season with the Gen 6 car and with all the returning drivers here again, they will put on a great show each Sunday.
Who’s Moved Around
The list containing the drivers who have moved around this off-season contains some pretty big names. A few big time names changed rides in hope of a new beginning that may be bringing better times with a new team. The biggest off-season move involved 2003 Cup Champion Matt Kenseth who switched from Roush-Fenway Racing to Joe Gibbs Racing. Kenseth wants to revive his career in 2013 and moving to JGR, gives Kenseth a much needed restart on his career. Kenseth will take over the No.20 car in 2013 from Joey Logano who also made an off-season move.
Joey Logano made his first real big move of his career by leaving the team that brought him to the Cup Series (JGR) and heading to the defending champs team (Penske Racing.) Logano has only been in the Cup Series for four full-time seasons and he couldn’t prove much with JGR so he decided to take his talents to Penske Racing in hopes of bettering his on-track performance. Kurt Busch didn’t really make an off-season move since he began racing for Furniture Row Racing at the end of last season but, he did indeed move over to the No.78 car for 2013. Another small driver move involved David Reutimann who will be racing at BK Racing this year instead of Tommy Baldwin Racing, where he raced last season.
Who’s New
For the first time in years, we have two new drivers entering the Cup Series who are in great equipment and will battle for the Rookie of the Year title. Well, the Rookie of the Year trophy may go to the same house unless SparkleHouse breaks up. Danica Patrick and her new boyfriend Ricky Stenhouse Jr will be competing in the Cup Series this year and they will both be going after rookie honors. They are the most notable new drivers in the Cup Series this season.
Both of these drivers raced select races in the Cup Series last season but, in 2013, they will be doing the whole slate. Danica Patrick will be driving full-time in the No.10 GoDaddy.com Chevy for Stewart-Hass Racing and she will look to contend for the title. Her boyfriend, Ricky Stenhouse Jr will be driving the No.17 Best Buy (along with other sponsors) Ford for Roush-Fenway Racing. So the biggest question going into the season is who will stand next to who’s car during pre-race ceremonies , or , the real question, which driver will come out on top in the Rookie of the Year battle this season. SparkleHouse will surely be a sight to see this season.
Who’s Gone
A few drivers departed from the Cup Series after last season and they have found new homes outside of the Cup Series for 2013. Sam Hornish Jr and Regan Smith were the biggest named leavers and both are competing for the Nationwide Series title in 2013. Hornish Jr filled in for A.J Allmendinger after Allmendinger was suspended at Daytona last July and with Penske adding Joey Logano, Hornish Jr’s ride was filled. Hornish Jr will compete in the Nationwide Series this season, much like he did last season.
Regan Smith is the other big name driver who departed from the Cup Series after Smith was essentially kicked out of his Furniture Row ride after Talladega last October. Kurt Busch took over Smith’s ride after Talladega since the management at Furniture Row Racing wanted Busch to get some experience in the car before he took over full-time in 2013. That left Smith without a ride for 2013 so, he went down to the Nationwide Series and found a full-time ride with JR Motorsports for 2013.
Schedule Adjustments
No major schedule changes were made for the 2013 season but, in 2012, when Kansas Speedway was being re-paved, they moved their fall race back two weeks and they’ll be moving that race back up in 2013. The Chase races for Talladega and Kansas were switched around last year and they’ll switch back again for 2013 which makes Kansas the fourth race of the Chase and Talladega the sixth race of the Chase. Possible impacts of the switch? Talladega becomes much more important since a wreck could end your title hopes.
Predictions
2013 will surely be exciting since anyone can come out ahead with the new car. The Race to the Chase will be as close as ever and the summer months will surely be exciting to watch. Below, I give my Chase predictions and how I believe the final standings will look like after the 36 race season.
- Denny Hamlin
- Jimmie Johnson
- Brad Keselowski
- Kasey Kahne
- Kyle Busch
- Matt Kenseth
- Clint Bowyer
- Tony Stewart
- Dale Earnhardt Jr
- Martin Truex Jr.
- Jeff Burton
- Jeff Gordon
Unpredictable is the one word we will be talking about in the next two weeks leading up to the Daytona 500. The whole season will be unpredictable due to the fact that the new car makes everything different and the unknown factor is as present as ever before. How, who, when, what and why are the beginnings of questions fans will be asking up until Homestead but, the journey to answer those questions will be a real exciting one. Pull those belts tight because the 2013 season is just about to start its engines.
Joe Gibbs Racing Development Driver Darrell Wallace Jr. Partners with Venturini for ARCA Daytona Race
