Jeff Gordon singles out NASCAR star doing ‘great – Sports News
Jeff Gordon has singled out Denny Hamlin, praising him for not solely his performances on the monitor but additionally the work he does away from racing.
Gordon helped remodel NASCAR after bursting onto the Cup Series scene in 1993. The four-time champion received the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994 earlier than claiming his first Cup title a 12 months later, changing into one of the game’s largest stars and a polarizing determine who attracted a new technology of followers.
Appearing on Racin’ with the Boys with Will Compton and Delanie Walker this week, Gordon was requested what it will take for NASCAR to recreate that degree of mainstream reputation immediately.
When requested about what can create the identical reputation in trendy racing, Gordon pointed to veteran driver Hamlin as an instance of somebody doing every part proper, praising each his performances on the monitor and his willingness to talk his thoughts.
“I wish it was an easy answer,” mentioned Gordon. “It’s tricky, right? Because the evolution of aerodynamics and race cars is making it harder for somebody to dominate. And I think you’ve got to have the lightning in the bottle personality or connection to a fan base that kind of creates that.
“But you’ve got to back it up with the winning on the racetrack. And it’s just, I mean, right now you’ve got Denny Hamlin, right? I feel like he’s doing a great job on the track. He doesn’t mind speaking his mind.
“And so it’s easy for that to create some rivalries or to create a like or dislike. Everybody respects him because of his talent. But I think what he says off the track, you’re either going to love it or hate it.”
The dialog quickly turned to Carson Hocevar, who has repeatedly been described as “lightning in a bottle” as a result of of his uncooked expertise and persona. Gordon mentioned he desires Hocevar to succeed and believes NASCAR wants stars like him, however confused that the younger driver should begin successful races if he’s going to succeed in his full potential.
He added: “I think Denny’s adding a lot of value to the sport right now. But young guys, I mean, I know everybody’s focused on Hocevar. But I want him to be successful. I want him to win more because we need him. We need that, especially if he’s willing to put himself out there like that. And listen, he was up at the Met Gala, and I think he was around the ESPYs. Like he’s doing all the right things and NASCAR’s helping to get him in the right places.
“But if he doesn’t have more wins, then it’s only going to take the sport so far. So, to me, it’s a combination of the Hamlins, the Chase Elliotts, the Kyle Larsons, Carson Hocevars. You’ve got to have a handful of guys that are bringing something unique and special. And I think we’ve got a good group. We’ve got some good momentum happening right now. But I think for Hocevar to really stand out, he’s got to win more.”
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