It's Just Getting Interesting

This time last season, Denny Hamlin was well on his way to an astounding 8 wins and seriously challenging Jimmie Johnson for the Championship.  If anyone could dethrone the repeat series winner, it was the # 11 FedEx wheelman.  He was sitting pretty, in a rhythm with his crew and shot caller Mike Ford was crew chief extraordinaire.  It was champagne baths and steak dinners.  Right up til the last lap it was possible to overtake the HMS dynasty team of Johnson and The Knaus.  Then suddenly it all went way wrong and 5-Time was born.

Enter 2011- what many believed to be The Year of The 11, the season that Hamlin  was to finally come into his own and prove that he was championship material.  But somehow at race 24 of 36, with new twists in the Chase, many are scratching their heads asking what went wrong.  Is it Hamlin? Maybe it's Ford?  There's been speculation that the duo should be seperated and JGR should shake things up a bit. 

Well it is my opinion that there needs to be shaking happening in the JGR camp. But it isn't with the driver and his crew chief, but with the engine department and the parts department. The majority of Hamlin's issues can be traced back to a mechanical issue.  It's hard to win races when your engine decides that 4 or 500 laps is more than it wants to produce.  So for the doubters and haters, I have just one thing to say. Never doubt a Virginia boy. Never doubt a fighter. Never turn your back on a hungry man looking to prove his public wrong when they say he has lost his fire.  It's when you blink, lose interest and think all hope is lost that the smoke you thought was from a dying engine is actually a fire rekindling in the heart of a would-be Champion.  Forget the fire department, this fire can't be quenched.

I have said over and over that I'm proud of Denny no matter where he finishes. That he makes me tremble with gratification whether he's first to the garage or finding his way to victory lane.  Well that's all well and good and sounds sweet when you're trying to encourage someone who's struggling to find their way.  Truth be told I HATE to lose. I get so disappointed when he is running so well and by no fault of his own he ends up 30th.  To see his face and know that he's just as devastated as I am breaks my heart.  He wants to make his fans proud of him. He feels they deserve it.  He's right...we do.

But what about what Denny deserves?  A car capable of winning every week, four tires that can carry him from lap 1 to lap 400. A pit crew that showed the world they are the best there ever will be and an engine that doesn't blow up before the race ever starts forcing him to the back of the field.  There are so many more things I could mention....but you get the point.

I believe in Denny Hamlin. I know he is a man on a mission. I honestly feel that he is close to breaking through, finding his nitch in this sport and making teammate Kyle Busch's success look like just a drop in the bucket.  There is no doubt in my mind that soon and very soon the man taking the trophy home to his beautiful NC residence will be none other than Mary Lou Hamlin's little boy.

The Waldorf Astoria will open its doors to celebrate the FedEx crew and the incredible Joe and JD Gibbs and there won't be any way to contain the excitement when Denny Hamlin is finally crowned NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion. New York City will never be the same after it's painted Fed Ex purple and black! Hamlin will be announced as he strolls out to his seat on stage left surrounded by the people responsible for helping his dream come true.  He will be toasted, roasted and celebrated as the man who got it done. Then he will stand up to make his acceptance speech. He will mention the people who sign his paycheck, who make his attempt at greatness possible. He will thank his Momma who has devoted countless hours to supporting her baby boy and the tears will flow down her beautiful face as she beams with pride.

But the moment I can't wait for...the moment I've waited far too long for is when he says "I want to thank the fans, because without you this wouldn't be possible. You are truly the greatest fans in the world and I couldn't do this without you. Thank you for supporting me and never giving up on me". I will sit there with tears filling my own eyes and know in my heart, whether he calls me out by name or not that he's talking to me.  Then all the hours spent watching and screaming til I was hoarse, terrified he was hurt when he crashed and asking why when yet another equipment failure ended our afternoon will be worth it. I didn't give up, Hamlin fans around the world stood behind him unconditionally and we can finally celebrate what we've waited so long for and deserve more than anyone.

So what if he's 12th in points and only has one win. So the pressure's on and that's when Denny Hamlin works best.  I may be a little nervous and perhaps I have a few sleepless nights wondering if he's going to make the Chase. Then it hits me, we're not talking about just anybody here. We're talking about Denny Hamlin. There's no reason to panic...it's just getting interesting!