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Did I say "a little goofy-looking"?
I meant "a lot goofy-looking." |
Forget his clean-cut looks, video game training methods, and glaring lack of post-race fisticuffs, Denny Hamlin is the throwback Southern racer that NASCAR needs to solidify its base.
NASCAR's popularity has clearly moved beyond its Southern moonshine-running roots, but it still needs another classic American hero with a twang. Of the current top 20 drivers, only Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, Mark Martin, Dale Jarrett, and Hamlin hail from the former Confederacy. Martin and Jarret could seriously drop dead at any moment, and Jeff Burton isn't exactly the most charismatic guy (and by "not charismatic," I mean "could put a methhead to sleep").
| Racing Ruminations |
Any hack columnist can predict the top five Dodge/Save Mart 350 finishers. I predict the top five and the guy who will finish 17th!
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LAST WEEK
Top five: 2/5
17th: 0–1
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SEASON
Top five: 28/75
17th: 0–15
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| 1. Jeff Gordon |
| 2. Tony Stewart |
| 3. Scott Pruett |
| 4. Mark Martin |
| 5. Robby Gordon |
| 17. Kyle Busch |
Like Junior, Hamlin is the perfect driver to please both old-time NASCAR fans and the Madison Avenue suits that pay the bills. For the sponsors, he's clean-cut, articulate, humble, and trouble-free. He's also got a little bit of twang to his voice and a pedigree of Saturday night short-track racing to satisfy the traditionalists.
Other than being a little goofy-looking and throwing the lamest victory celebration since Kurt Busch's "snow angel," Hamlin is the perfect face for NASCAR. As Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Carl Edwards, and Kyle Busch move to the front of the championship contenders over the next decade, all types of NASCAR fans will have the model driver.
Kahne for the "pretty boy" fans, Edwards for the "nice guy" fans, Busch for the "ass" fans, and Hamlin for the "traditional" fans. Everyone will be happy. Except the "mustache" fans. Oh, where have you gone, Ernie Irvan?
