Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Sprint Cup, Joe Gibbs Racing
LOOKING AHEAD: During
Denny Hamlin's fourth full season in the Sprint Cup series in 2009, his transformation into a leading voice in the NASCAR garage drastically changed many a fan's outlook on how much success the young Virginia driver can expect to see down the road.
Hamlin is to 2010 what Carl Edwards was to 2009, serving as the resident favorite among many in the media as the driver most likely to stop Jimmie Johnson in his run for a five straight Sprint Cup championships. But having the status as favorite can be a double-edged sword. Edwards was the top candidate to dethrone Johnson in 2009 and, well, we see how that turned out.
The pre-season predictions, which of course just light the fire more for Johnson, came before Hamlin potentially changed the course of his upcoming season during a pickup basketball game in January. As he made one cut too many, Hamlin's left knee buckled on the basketball court. Doctors diagnosed him with a torn ligament, and with the season so close, Hamlin has opted for post-season surgery.
The general consensus is that Hamlin won't be drastically affected by the injury -- NASCAR drivers don't do a whole lot of screens or pick-and-rolls -- but there will certainly be an element of pain at times. In addition, who knows what a violent crash or two early in the season will do and if it'll wreak havoc on the injury.
I'd certainly think that if Hamlin can limp into the 2010 Chase for the Sprint Cup (pun intended) he'll be a significant force to reckon with. Until a mistake at Auto Club Speedway in the '09 Chase that left the black No. 11 spinning through the finely cut infield grass before a nose-first impact with the pit wall, Hamlin was in the thick of contention for the 2009 championship.
Wins should come easy for Hamlin this year -- Richmond watch out -- and a championship is easily within reach.
THE 2009 STATISTICS:
Best Finish - 1st, four times
Worst Finish - 42nd, Charlotte
Top-5s - 15
Top-10s - 20
Total Laps Led - 1,380
Percent of Laps Completed - 95.6
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments