Unlike most sports, where success can seem close to a 50-50 proposition, racing operates on razor-thin margins. This alone keeps every NASCAR driver on edge, even around their teammates. Yet, beneath the helmets, they are human. Zane Smith made this open during a media session before the second stop in Atlanta.
When asked if the drivers had ever felt affection for a rival and had such a moment, Black-smithdidn’t beat around the bush. He used Denny Hamlin as an example.
Advertisement
“Yeah. I definitely feel like we’re all selfish, but I definitely felt bad for Denny Hamlin this year at the championship,” Smith said per Speedway Media. “It’s painful, and it’s a long career that he’s had with a lot of success and a lot of wins and in contention to get one.
“I forgot what it was, but he literally had one lap to go with enough lead to win his first championship, and with everything going on in his life, I felt that one for him,” THE Motor sports at the forefront driver added.
In a word, it’s racing. Drivers ride the waves, and only the one who keeps their foot down emerges victorious. Yet amid all these competitive emotions, for Smith, this moment with Hamlin is front and center.
Smith also wore his heart on his sleeve at Daytona, pushing Chase Elliottnot advanced even if the two are not teammates. On the final lap, Smith pushed the No. 9 close to Riley Herbst, allowing Elliott to pass the No. 38, who was backing Tyler Reddick. That simple boost almost gave Elliott victory before a final-corner pileup turned the race on its head.
Advertisement
So while Smith admits that empathy doesn’t grow on trees and that true friendships are hard to form when everyone is trying to fight each other week after week, he also knows that there are times when a driver stops and walks a mile in someone else’s shoes. If he’s not in the title fight and neither are any teammates, he can step back and see the bigger picture.
Smith tried to put himself in Hamlinof the position, and the weight of it all was difficult to understand. Any driver can find themselves in a period where results are piling up, but the championship continues to elude them. This has happened several times before. That’s why Hamlin’s near-miss struck a chord with the FRM driver, especially considering everything that happened in the JGR driver’s life over the offseason.
Smith summed it up by saying that Hamlin has racked up wins and milestones and feels like someone who should have at least one championship, if not more. But sometimes racing is tough, and that’s what NASCAR is all about.
The position “We’re all selfish, but I definitely felt bad for Denny Hamlin”: Zane Smith on his emotions towards contestants appeared first on The rush to sport.
