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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
VODA: Throwing Down The Gauntlet
Denny Hamlin made a statement at last year’s Awards Ceremony by saying he was coming for Jimmie Johnson...
Krista Voda  |  Posted November 11, 2010   Charlotte, NC
Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Office Toyota, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. (Photo: Getty Images)
So far, Denny Hamlin has done everything he said he would.

Most everything Hamlin has accomplished the past few weeks has fulfilled a proclamation he issued as far back as last season.

It all started when, after finishing fifth in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings, Hamlin stood up on the stage at the Awards Ceremony in Las Vegas and threw down the gauntlet a year in advance. Of Jimmie Johnson, he said, “I’m coming for you.” I don’t know if Hamlin truly meant it in as challenging a manner as it came across, but he certainly has lived up to that assertion in 2010.

Hamlin joined us on Trackside recently, and during the interview, I reminded him of his words at the banquet and asked if he realized they have come to fruition. He said, “Yes, leave it to me to open my big mouth.” But when he opened his mouth to give that speech last December, it wasn’t just words. It was something Hamlin planned on upholding - and he has done just that.

Many people over the past few weeks have said Hamlin’s run at the championship really began with the spring Texas race, where he won in his second week back after knee surgery, because driving with a rehabbing knee made a bold statement regarding his mindset. But I think this all started the week before at Phoenix, his first race back after the procedure. Yes, he finished two laps down in the 30th position, but he stayed in the car the entire day despite horrific pain. We all expected him to let a relief driver finish the race, especially when his team fell so far back, and no one would have faulted him for that. But I think Hamlin’s intention was to send a resounding message to his Joe Gibbs Racing team that he was in this championship run for the long haul and wasn’t going to surrender, despite the circumstances. In a way, I think Phoenix triggered the “all for one, one for all” mentality with the No. 11 team.

So, Hamlin made a statement at last year’s Awards Ceremony by saying he was coming for Johnson and did the same at Phoenix by refusing to yield to a relief driver. Now he is making a statement both with his dialogue and his on-track performance.

Interestingly enough, Hamlin has stated that if he cannot win this year’s Cup championship, he would like to see Johnson do the honors. I found that a bit crazy at first, but he explained that he wants to be the one to knock Johnson off that pedestal. That rationale says a lot about his competitive fire and outlook on the Chase.

Additionally, with three races remaining, Hamlin told us he was going to turn up the wick … then he proceeded to win at Texas. His first words over the radio on the cool-down lap were, “It’s on.” That was a simple phrase but it spoke volumes about the FedEx driver’s mind and focus.

Over the course of the past year, Hamlin has learned to control mental issues that plagued him in 2009. He openly admitted he was too worried about Johnson’s position on the track last year, which even led him to wreck while leading at California. By overcoming some of the mental challenges of the sport and focusing on his team instead of his competitors, the Virginia native has put himself at the top of the points at a crucial time.

This year’s championship certainly will go down to the wire. I still wouldn’t be a bit surprised to see Johnson bounce back, win Phoenix and assume his usual spot atop the heap heading into Homestead next week. But, for a change, I think he has an extremely legitimate and dangerous threat to his fifth consecutive title in the form of Denny Hamlin. Stay tuned.

Krista Voda is the host of NCTS Setup, the popular pre-race program for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on SPEED. She also hosts Trackside, The Speed Report and special events such as the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, in addition to serving as a pit road reporter for FOX Sports. Voda also covers the NFL and BCS for FOX and has reported on sporting events ranging from The Kentucky Derby to the NCAA Final Four. Visit Krista's official website at KristaVoda.net

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The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEED.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or SPEED
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