Denny Hamlin Ready to Silently Strike in 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

When Denny Hamlin began his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career in late 2005, there was little doubt that he could drive. In just seven starts, he managed to rack up one pole position and three top-ten finishes. He has since raced three full seasons in NASCAR's highest division and has made the Chase for the Sprint Cup in all three seasons. As a rookie in 2006, he finished third in the standings (source: nascar.com). But rarely do you hear Hamlin's name come up when talk of a championship arises. Perhaps that is because Hamlin is less flamboyant than most drivers and rarely gets outspoken. But as quiet as he is, he is full of talent and ready to silently strike in 2009.

Hamlin races the number eleven Fed-Ex Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing and while he looks like he is the same age as his car number, Hamlin will actually be the oldest of the three Gibbs drivers this season. Hamlin will be teamed with Kyle Busch and rookie sensation Joey Logano in the upcoming season. With all that has gone on with Joe Gibbs racing as of late it is easy to see why Denny Hamlin is left out of many conversations.

2008 marked the first year that Joe Gibbs racing used Toyotas. Kyle Busch showed huge success with the new manufacturer and recorded an astounding eight wins before the Chase for the Sprint Cup began. Later in the season, veteran driver and two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion, Tony Stewart announce that he would be leaving Joe Gibbs racing at the end of the season to start his own race team. His replacement would be the young superstar Joey Logano who won his first NASCAR Nationwide Series race earlier in the season at the age of 18. With all this hub-bub floating around, all Denny Hamlin did was put together another solid year and finish eighth in the championship standing, ahead of both Busch and Stewart (source: nascar.com).

Here are the facts. In a little more than three full seasons as a driver, Hamlin has four wins with an average finish of just 14.2 and, oh yeah, three trips to the Chase for the Sprint Cup (NASCAR's playoffs). He was the rookie of the year in 2006 and is quietly in the hunt for top-fives week in and week out (source: nascar.com). While he may not make the most noise off track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, he certainly makes a lot of noise on the track. NASCAR drivers beware, 2009 could be the breakout year for the soft spoken driver who is ready to strike silently and contend, yet again, for a championship. While other drivers like to say how good they are on the track Hamlin prefers to show it. Many "experts" think it will be Kyle Busch who will win the first championship for Toyota, but don't be surprised if it is Busch's older, quieter (much quieter) and more consistent team mate (Hamlin) who gets the job done in 2009.