Denny Hamlin will go to the Daytona 500 on Monday in search of his fourth victory in the event called “The Great American Race.”
The driver of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry talked about his race plan and his win-at-all-costs mentality to start the NASCAR season. Hamlin discussed his on-track strategy on “FOX RaceDay” as the race was rained out Sunday and postponed until Monday.
Hamlin drives for Joe Gibbs Racing but also co-owns 23XI Racing with Michael Jordan. Joe Gibbs will have four drivers in the field, while 23XI will have two.
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Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota, waits in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 16, 2024 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
“Who I think has the biggest push can also enlighten me,” Hamlin said when asked who he would push among team members in certain situations. “I only have so many of these left that I can compete in. I'm going to have to do whatever it takes to win another one.”
Hamlin said earlier in his interview that he takes more risks in the Daytona 500 than in any other race. He said he separates the Daytona 500 from the other races because he's not interested in scoring stage points: he's trying to win.
“I think over the years we've seen this develop into manufacturers and alliances and all that. But ultimately you have to be selfish,” he said. “You won't be happy pushing a teammate to victory. You'll want to get it yourself.
Crew members push Denny Hamlin's car into his garage after a practice session was canceled due to rain for the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024. in Daytona Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
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“You are more aggressive in this race because I don't consider the 2024 season starting until next week. I don't care about stage points. I don't care about any of that until we finish this weekend because this weekend is an event in itself”.
A win for Hamlin would be the 52nd of his career. Last season, he finished 17th at Daytona and won at Kansas, helping him reach the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
He finished fifth and narrowly missed out on Championship Four. The NASCAR Championship is the only trophy missing from Hamlin's cabinet.
Sunday's race was postponed to Monday due to inclement weather.
Denny Hamlin prepares for a practice session for the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, in Daytona Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
First, the Xfinity Series will run its race at Daytona at 11 a.m. ET. The event can be seen on FS1.
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Then, NASCAR will have its race at 4 pm ET. The race can be seen on FOX. Hamlin will start 11th.
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