NASCAR’s future shifted on its axis when Denny Hamlin overtly endorsed that rising teenage phenom Brent Crews because the main candidate to inherit his iconic No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota as soon as he steps away from full-time racing. For 18-year-old Crews, who at present drives the No. 19 for JGR within the O’Reilly Collection, Hamlin’s assertion utterly caught him off guard and have become a full-circle second.
Reflecting on Hamlin’s excessive reward, Crews, throughout a dialog on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, mentioned:
“I didn’t count on him to say that by any means. That was wild. I had an enormous ‘previous smile on my face when he did say it, as a result of I had no thought. That was very nice of Denny to say. I am grateful that he is been watching”
He then revealed the heartwarming, cross-sport motive behind his early loyalty to Hamlin’s and the No. 11 automotive.
“Denny was my favourite driver as slightly child. My favourite soccer participant was Julio Jones. And he was quantity 11. So routinely, Denny was my favourite driver,” mentioned Crews.
The leap to the Cup degree stays probably the most brutal transition in motorsports, and Crews is conscious that executing in his present machine within the O’Reilly is the one strategy to solidify his future structure.
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With the high-stakes battle for the O’Reilly Auto Elements Collection playoffs tightening up, Crews has no intention of letting future JGR Foolish Season hypotheticals distract him from his present goal.
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Denny Hamlin applauds NASCAR’s removing of the ‘win-and-in’ format in 2026 season
NASCAR Cup Collection driver Denny Hamlin waits by his automotive as rain falls earlier than the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tenn., Sunday, Could 31, 2026.
NASCAR Cup Collection driver Denny Hamlin waits by his automotive as rain falls earlier than the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tenn., Sunday, Could 31, 2026.
Following years of intense debate amongst drivers, groups, and followers, NASCAR formally abolished the long-standing “Win and You are In” regular-season format.
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Talking on the huge format shift, Denny Hamlin did not mince phrases, calling the choice an overdue correction that forestalls fluke victories from hijacking the playoff grid. He mentioned:
“Eliminating the win and also you’re in. Oh, perhaps the largest, greatest change ever, as a result of now we all know somebody cannot simply get fortunate and pop one off from twenty fourth in level. You bought 26 races to show your self proper and so one good or unhealthy week shouldn’t be the indicator of whether or not you are in or out prefer it’s no, you bought an enormous previous pattern dimension.”
By forcing organizations to take a look at the scoreboard each single lap, NASCAR has dialed up the depth of the regular-season factors battle, aligning the game nearer to the standard roots that veterans like Hamlin have championed for years.
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