Kansas Does Wonders for Hamlin's Ego

A trip to the Midwest has seemed to have changed Denny Hamlin after last week's brouhaha with Kyle Petty.

He's steeply backed off his fightin' words (an angel, remember?) and is now sporting some new facial hair. The new look, though, isn't the most important part.

His words are.

"No matter what you do, Kyle is going to be right and a lot of what he did was right," Hamlin said. "You never want to be involved in an incident, especially with Kyle because he's respected a lot ... so, really, I've just got to learn to grow up as far as that's concerned."

Does it make up for his actions/words from last weekend at Dover? I don't know, but if nothing else it's a step in the right direction for Hamlin in the maturing process.

Though it would of been more exciting to see the confrontation last awhile, nobody would win in that situation. Petty has a 2008 Daytona 500 start on the line and Hamlin kind of has that Chase for the Championship thing going on.

Hamlin currently sits 158 points out of first in the Chase with eight races left, including this weekend's event at Kansas. With that deficit, you'd have to believe that someone at Joe Gibbs Racing might have been behind Hamlin's sudden change in personality -- a refocusing of sorts.

But I've gotta know, who was in charge of the new facial feature?

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

9-29-2007 @ 3:47AM

Don Emerson said...

After getting owned by Kyle as he cringed down in his seat, Denny wants to look (and feel) macho now. After all it happened on national TV. You can bet he got his butt crawled by Gibbs for his actions on the track, and remarks afterwards. I really wish we had more of the ol' time drivers around to teach these kids manners and respect. Denny is young, and if he's smart, he will take this lesson to heart and be a better man for it. Travaux pour moi.....

9-29-2007 @ 9:00AM

Sandie said...

I agree with Don Emerson. Denny is a self centered brat. Denny is lucky to be sitting in a Gibbs car. There is so much talent out there now and someone could sit in his car and do just as well. One has to think who Denny thinks he is treating Kyle Petty the way he did last week at the track. I am quite sure that Joe Gibbs had a talk with Hamlin. Hamlin has a long way to go to make up the points he lost last week. The beauty of Hamlin's bad behavior is he will most likely not win the Chase Championship. The whole Gibbs racing team could use some manners on class and behavior. Joe Gibbs seems to run a nursery school!! I am sure "payback" is weighing heavily on the young Hamlin's mind. He must be thinking where and when. Jeff Gordon's comments are true as well.

9-29-2007 @ 9:52AM

Kim said...

Ah! It sounds like little Denny might have had an epiphamy. No, couldn't have been that. It was more along the lines of his boss chewing him out for treating a veteran & classy driver with disrespect & to knock it off as it makes the whole team look bad. Gee, I wonder if Tony Stewart got the same speech after what he did to Menard last week? Somehow, I doubt that as it seems Stewart can get away with just about anything. I will say one thing for Stewart, although a complete "ass" in my eyes, he is entertaining to watch. I have never seen a grown man throw so many temper tantrums. It's laughable. All you ladies out there who wonder why Tony is single? It's no secret to me. He needs too much training for a good woman to take him on! Just my opinion, of course!

I agree with Don & Sandy. Hamlin is immature & was in the wrong last week. Now let us see what the great track at Taladega has in store for us this week. Got any beer?????

Kim

9-29-2007 @ 11:14AM

Brad said...

WWWWHHHHAAAATTTTTT!!!! Heh I know Dorothy's house got moved from kansas to Oz but did they take Talladega and move it to Kansas!!! Just kidding of course. I like Tony Stewart but I gotta agree with Kim here, I don't know if he is a complete ass but if he doesn't start spending less time in a buffet line or drinking a case of beer after a win he'll be all ass. I believe he said he was purchasing excercise equipment at the awards dinner last year....wow I guess it must be on Back order. Gotta agree with Don to, if they would have left Bobby Labonte in that 18 car awhile longer he would have been a far better mentor than Tony has been.

Buenos Nachos

Brad

9-29-2007 @ 11:15AM

drgrcr601 said...

I don't think you can teach manners and respect Don. That comes from within. Racers by nature have a big ego and an attitude. It's what drives them and is probably necessary to be successful. Driving race cars is an huge adrenalin rush and really difficult to control during a post race intense moment. Some are just better at it than others. If all drivers had good manners and respect we probably wouldn't be on these blogs discussing this, we would be on here discussing how boring it all is.

Ron

9-29-2007 @ 11:19AM

Oh one more thing, I think Tony is just doing research for his next series of Home Depot commercials, he's just checking to see how ORANGE looks with other colors.

Buenos Not chose

9-29-2007 @ 1:38PM

Tanner said...

I think that Denny should have apologized to Kyle and also said that he himself respected Kyle...but then again why should he lie. It's almost as bad as when politicians start apologies with "If someone was offended then I am sorry'. But I am not understanding why Tony Stewart continues to be blamed for Denny's actions. Denny is a grown man and he is responsible for his own actions. If Tony is responsible for Denny's actions then Jeff Gordon and Jimmy Johnson would be responsible for Kyle Busch's actions, Mark Martin would have been responsible for Kurt Busch's actions when he started his career. Only Denny Hamlin is responsible so maybe Tony should be left out of this.

9-29-2007 @ 2:30PM

Brad:

He, he, he, he! I must have had a little something extra in my coffee this morning to have thought Taladega was in Kansas. Oops. Sorry about that. You see that's what happens when you live in Ohio and have no race tracks nearby (except for Columbus Motor Speedway where they race drag cars. Have you ever been here for that?). I tend to get a little confused. Well, still; got any beer?????

Kim

9-29-2007 @ 2:39PM

Kim, Im from Ohio also. Ever go to Mansield. Nascar races their truck series there a couple times a year. I believe the also run ARCA there

Ron

9-30-2007 @ 1:48AM

Kim:

Now that sounds like some damn good coffee, but 2 many cups of that and they will be racing in Bristol Hawaii next week LOL. Never been to Ohio, Ca. born and raised (don't say it....some of us out here do know that a drive thru penalty has nothing to do with being shorted a burger and fries after leaving Mcdonalds). But I can get to 15-20 local tracks within an hrs. drive, Infineon is just over an hr. away (That race is better on T.V. because you can't see enough of the track) Fontana (BORING) is about 5 hrs down the road. I just starting leaving comments recently and love the differing perspectives out there although I think there are a few that need to go in a corner and scratch their mad spot awhile. I might have a few more comments in the future but who knows, if ya don't see any it's because there is a deer in Idaho and and Elk in Colorado calling by name.

Buenos Not Chose

Brad

9-30-2007 @ 1:59PM

Maveness said...

Considering Denny's actions in the Busch race with regards to Paul Menard (how much do I love Paul right now? Oh, thiiiiiiiiis much), I don't think his ego's been checked up much. He just decided to go after someone he thought he could bully. It was amusing that Paul didn't back down, because really, at DEI, on the mellow scale, he pretty much takes the cake. And that's considering that Truex and Junior are half catatonic at times.

9-30-2007 @ 7:01PM

sfcslugboy said...

wow, what a bunch of idiots. don says that hamlin was owned as he coward in his seat. ok, where was petty when denny got out of the car. GONE! i am not saying that what occurred is right when the 11 got into the back of the 45, and i understand petty going to denny's car and complaining about it. the problem is that kyle layed his hands on hamlin. what do you expect hamlin to do. i bet anyone of you would have reacted the same way, even if you were in the wrong to begin with if some smacked you on the head besides your parents.

why is kyle petty even on the track anymore. just because his family had awsome drivers doesnt mean we need to pay homage to him. what does he have, like 7 wins in about 10 years and trying to keep in the top 35. give me a break, if you cant keep up, cant keep your temper in check, or cant man up and meet the person you were antagonizing in the first place, then you need to get out of the biz.

now with that said, is anyone to ride one of the most over-rated drivers in the business (JR) for getting into kyle busch. i bet not. and look at how much of a class act kyle was.

another thought - why did the 11 team let the situation grow in the way that it did. they should never have let petty near the fed-ex car and then hold denny back after he got bitch-slapped. did they expect him to just sit there like a good little boy and get trounced on like that?

i love intelligent conversations and can be reached at sfcslugboy@yahoo.com