Tag: Denny Hamlin

‘Really good team and really good driver’ beat Hamlin at Bristol

Denny Hamlin gave the perfect summation of his Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway. “A really strong race, a really strong month, for the [No.] 11 car, and [we’re] doing a lot of things right,” Hamlin said. “But sometimes you run into a really fast car …

Denny Hamlin gave the perfect summation of his Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway.

“A really strong race, a really strong month, for the [No.] 11 car, and [we’re] doing a lot of things right,” Hamlin said. “But sometimes you run into a really fast car and a really fast driver, and we finished second today.”

Hamlin finished second to Kyle Larson, who led 411 of 500 laps. It ended the No. 11’s two-race winning streak from Martinsville Speedway (March 30) and Darlington Raceway (April 6) and it denied Hamlin a chance to win three consecutive races for the first time in his Cup Series career.

“Once I got to second with 200 to go or so, Kyle really stretched it out on me the first 50, 60 laps of that run, and then we ran back to him heavy before that green flag cycle,” Hamlin said of the chain of events. “At that point, I thought with 200 to go that Kyle had the best car. I was kind of next in line, and I was going to need him to stub his toe to win the race.

“I tried not to make any mistakes. I kept running my race and with 100 to go and after I ran him down, I was like, ‘OK, well, maybe I have something for him here.’ I gave it all I got, but it just wasn’t enough.”

There was no denying Larson, who didn’t put a wheel wrong all race. Neither did Larson’s team.

“I thought [Larson] was able to navigate traffic slightly better than what I was, and that was a big benefit,” Hamlin said. “I felt like in open racetrack I could run with him and was able to catch him there on the second long stint, but I couldn’t navigate traffic quite as well as he could.”

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Cup Series teams also didn’t have the tire variable that some expected after Saturday when there was heavy wear. Sunday, there was hardly any wear and it took longer than anticipated to lay rubber on the racetrack before multiple grooves began to be an option.

Hamlin described the tire situation as a “riddle” but figured it must be temperature-related. Saturday was 45 degrees and Sunday was sunny and 65 degrees. This produced a less-than-optimally pleasing race for some, with just four leaders and four lead changes.

“You got to give teams their due when they dominate,” Hamlin said of the product. “We shouldn’t throw mud on the racing or whatever because someone goes out there and dominates. I, at least, kept him honest for a little while there. They were superior here in the fall, and they were superior again today.

“Sometimes you’ll have that, and someone will hit it. That’s what will happen when you have a really good team and a really good driver.”

Ace JGR pitwork nets Hamlin second win in a row at Darlington

A perfectly-executed overtime restart by Denny Hamlin following a clutch final pit stop by his Joe Gibbs Racing crew provided exactly the advantage the veteran needed to claim the trophy in Sunday’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. Hamlin …

A perfectly-executed overtime restart by Denny Hamlin following a clutch final pit stop by his Joe Gibbs Racing crew provided exactly the advantage the veteran needed to claim the trophy in Sunday’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

Hamlin took the race lead out of the pits during the final late race caution then bested the field on the ensuing restart, pulling his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota out front and ultimately to a 0.597s victory over the day’s most dominant driver, Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron.

It’s the second-consecutive victory for Hamlin, who won last week at Martinsville, Va. and marks the first time he’s won back-to-back races since 2012 when he won at Bristol, Tenn. then Atlanta the following week.

 

All smiles as he climbed out the car, Hamlin gave all the credit to his pit crew. He was third place at the time of the final caution – the yellow coming out for Byron’s Hendrick teammate Kyle Larson’s spin. The leaders seized the chance to pit for fresh tires in anticipation of the overtime restart and Hamlin’s crew got him out of the pits first, ahead of 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick and Byron.

On the ensuing green flag, Hamlin set off to a perfect launch, giving him the victory over Byron, who led a race best 243 of the 297 laps. It is Hamlin’s 56th career win, breaking a tie with NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace for 11th place on NASCAR’s all-time wins list.

“There’s two people I really love right now: my pit crew and Kyle Larson,’’ the 44-year-old Virginian Hamlin said with a grin. “Had a little assist there, so thank you.

“Pit crew just did an amazing job. They won it last week [at Martinsville]. They won it this week. It’s all about them.’’

It was obviously a tough ending to a career day for Byron, who rallied to the runner-up finish on the final restart but had absolutely dominated the early race, leading the opening 243 laps and claiming both Stage 1 and Stage 2 victories. It was the most laps Byron has ever led in a single race.

“First off, just really proud of my team to bring that level of effort and preparation and have a car like that and us execute like that. It was looking like we were going to have a perfect race and we were going to lead every lap,’’ the 2025 DAYTONA 500 winner Byron said.

“I was really proud of that. Those guys could just be aggressive on the other side of the green flag cycle and we just lost control, and once we lost control it was too late to get back up there.

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“It sucks and I’m sure it will sting tonight, but there are still a lot of positives. It just stings in the moment for sure.’’

Hamlin’s JGR teammate Christopher Bell finished third in the No. 20 Toyota after an amazing rally forward from a 20th place starting position. Reddick finished fourth in the 23XI Racing Toyota, co-owned by Hamlin and NBA legend Michael Jordan.

Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney finished fifth. It is the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion’s first top five at the 1.366-mile historic track, but the result still stings as Blaney had just taken the race lead moments before the final caution came out with only three laps of regulation remaining.

“Oh no,’’ Blaney conceded of his thoughts when the yellow flag flew.

“I thought we had the race won. I don’t really know. I’ll have to watch a replay and see how the yellow came out and watch it back, but we did a great job and great strategy call of running long.

“Great call and just really fast but never got to really control the race,’’ he added. “I feel like nothing really went our way. Pit road we’ve got to work on a little bit. Caution coming out during the cycle set us way back and I feel like we kept making up spots. Really proud of the No. 12 folks for giving me a fast car. Just wasn’t meant to be. I really would have liked to have won here. That would have been really neat. Proud of the effort and we’ll keep plugging along.’’

Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing’s Chris Buescher finished sixth, followed by Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain, Hendrick’s Chase Elliott, JGR’s Ty Gibbs and Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch. It was a season-best effort for Gibbs.

Byron’s runner-up showing keeps him in the NASCAR Cup Series championship lead now by 49 points over Hamlin and 52 points over Bell. It’s a different look atop the standings, where all four Hendrick Motorsports cars were ranked among the top five.

Hendrick’s Chase Elliott finished eighth Sunday and is now fourth in the standings, 59 points back. Larson dropped to sixth place after finishing 37th of the 38 cars at Darlington. Bowman is now ranked 10th with a 35th place showing.

The NASCAR Cup Series moves to the famed Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway high banks next weekend for Sunday’s Food City 500 (3 p.m. ET, FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Hamlin is the defending winner.

New approach sends Hamlin back to victory lane at Martinsville

It didn’t take Denny Hamlin long to find the recipe for success in Sunday’s Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. Hamlin grabbed the lead on lap126 of 400 in the seventh NASCAR Cup Series race of the season and never looked back. With flawless work …

It didn’t take Denny Hamlin long to find the recipe for success in Sunday’s Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway.

Hamlin grabbed the lead on lap126 of 400 in the seventh NASCAR Cup Series race of the season and never looked back.

With flawless work from his pit crew, the driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota led 274 of the last 275 laps—with the only exception a lap credited to pole winner Christopher Bell, who raced side-by-side with Hamlin after the final restart on lap 326.

 

Hamlin pulled away toward the end of the final 75-lap green-flag run and beat Bell, his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, to the finish line by 4.617s.

The victory was Hamlin’s sixth at the 0.526-mile short track, most among full-time active drivers, but his first at Martinsville since 2015. It was his first win of the season and the 55th of his career, tying him with Rusty Wallace for 11th on the career victory list.

Hamlin’s win was also his first with crew chief Chris Gayle, who took over the pit box on the No. 11 Toyota this season. Hamlin has now won Cup races with seven different crew chiefs.

“You know, Chris Gayle, all the engineers, the pit crew, everybody really on that wall right there, just deciding they were going to come here with a different approach than what we’ve been over the last few years,” said Hamlin, who won at Martinsville for the first time with the Gen 7 race car.

“It was just amazing. The car was great. It did everything I needed it to do. Just so happy to win with Chris, get 55… Obviously, back here in Martinsville where I spent so many years racing late models and whatnot—gosh, I love winning here.”

Bell’s No. 20 Toyota was too loose over the final run to keep up with Hamlin’s No. 11 Camry.

“We were back and forth on balance a little bit,” Bell said. “I asked to be freer throughout the whole race. That last run, I just went a little bit too loose and lost my drive off (the corners).

“It was a great weekend for Joe Gibbs Racing. Showed a lot of pace. All four of the cars were really good. Really happy to kind of get back up front. The last two weeks have been rough for this 20 team… Really happy for Denny. He’s the Martinsville master. Second is not that bad.”

Bubba Wallace finished third for the second straight race, as Toyotas claimed the top three finishing positions at the paper-clip-shaped track.

“That final restart, I let that second (place) get away,” said Wallace, who drives for the 23XI Racing team co-owned by Hamlin and NBA legend Michael Jordan.

“I don’t know if I had anything for Denny. It would have been fun to try.

“But all in all, hell of a day for Toyota. Top three; that’s nice. Keep the momentum going; having fun.”

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Chase Elliott came home fourth, followed by Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson.

Ross Chastain, Ryan Preece, Joey Logano, Chase Briscoe and Todd Gilliland completed the top 10.

Before Hamlin took control, a debris caution on lap 31 resulted in a dramatic change to the running order. Josh Berry led a group of six drivers who stayed on the track under caution, and maintained the top spot for 40 laps, the first circuits led by the No. 21 Wood Brothers car at Martinsville since 2005.

A caution for Chris Buescher’s spin on the frontstretch ended Berry’s stint at the front. A collision with Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota on pit road and subsequent alternator issues cost Berry two laps and took him out of the mix.

Logano stayed on the track under the lap 71 yellow and won the first 80-lap stage over Alex Bowman in a two-lap sprint, but it was an up-and-down day for the reigning Cup champion.

On lap 317, Briscoe’s Toyota bounced off the inside curbing in Turn 3 and sent Logano’s Ford spinning toward the outside wall. Logano pitted for fresh tires, restarted 25th and drove back to eighth place by lap 400, scoring his first top 10 of the season.

William Byron, who finished 22nd after a lengthy pit stop under the first caution, retained the series lead by 17 points over Larson.

Hamlin says Open Exemption Provisional ‘reeks of desperation’ by NASCAR

Denny Hamlin said Saturday that NASCAR’s new Open Exemption Provisional “reeks of desperation” when asked how he felt about the sanctioning body granting a world-class driver from another discipline an automatic spot in the starting lineup. “I don’t …

Denny Hamlin said Saturday that NASCAR’s new Open Exemption Provisional “reeks of desperation” when asked how he felt about the sanctioning body granting a world-class driver from another discipline an automatic spot in the starting lineup.

“I don’t know how else to say it; I don’t know how nice you can really say it,” Hamlin said at Bowman Gray Stadium, where NASCAR begins its season with the Cook Out Clash. “It just feels like you’re really trying to get any kind of headline you can to be relevant and I don’t love it.”

NASCAR will see the OEP in action for the first time later this month at the Daytona 500. The procedure, which was included in the new Charter Agreement, is new beginning this season.

Helio Castroneves is guaranteed a spot in the Daytona 500 field, as Trackhouse Racing has requested and been granted the provisional. Castroneves will either earn his spot by qualifying speed or a qualifying Duel or by using the provisional. If he earns his spot, the field will be capped at 40 drivers. But if Castroneves has to fall back on the provisional, NASCAR will expand the field to 41 drivers.

The provisional is open to world-class drivers who want to start in the NASCAR Cup Series. It guarantees that fans will see the driver race, and NASCAR can capitalize on the attention. The team must request the provisional 90 days in advance.

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However, the provisional will also be open to non-full-time NASCAR drivers. If they apply, NASCAR would consider Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr.

Only one Open Exemption Provisional can be used per race. NASCAR will consider who is granted the provisional once all requests are made in the 90-day window.

“To me, it’s a short-term gain [and] long-term loss,” Hamlin continued. “I think you’re the premier stock car series in the U.S., the premier racing sport in the U.S. — be the big boys and force people to come in here and get their credentials and do it the natural way.

“I don’t think it’s going to be a big factor anywhere other than Daytona, but just simply saying that someone has a name that interests you and they’re going to have an automatic bid into the highest form of motorsports in the U.S., I don’t love it.”

The Daytona 500 traditionally draws the largest entry list of the season. Nine open teams have announced plans to attempt to qualify for this year’s race.

In 2024, the Daytona 500 had 42 cars entered. It was the only race during the season in which there were more drivers entered than spots in the field.

Denny Hamlin says rule change allowing Helio Castroneves into Daytona 500 ‘reeks of desperation’

The co-owner of 23XI Racing calls this new rule a “short-term gain, long-term loss.”

NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin is no fan of the rule change the motorsports league established this year that is paving the way for Helio Castroneves to enter the Daytona 500 later this month.

During its offseason, NASCAR created a new provision that allows for what it calls “world-class drivers” to enter a Cup Series race. Called the “Open Exemption Provisional,” it allows Castroneves – a four-time Indianapolis 500 winner – to enter the Daytona 500 as the 41st car even if he fails to qualify on speed in time trials.

Castroneves will be making his Cup Series debut at the age of 49, driving for Trackhouse Racing. Under the rule, if Castroneves wins the Daytona 500, he’ll of course be credited with the win, but awarded no prize money or playoff points.

Simply put, the rule is seemingly designed to allow popular and successful drivers outside of NASCAR to get a crack at racing in the Cup Series, which could be a way to create storylines and potentially attract new fans.

While some drivers are viewing this change optimistically, Hamlin – a three-time Daytona 500 winner – is it a bit irked by it. The driver of the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing and co-owner of the 23XI Racing team was asked his feelings about the rule change on Saturday at Bowman-Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, ahead of The Clash – NASCAR’s annual season-opening exhibition.

“I don’t know. I just think it reeks of desperation,” Hamlin said. “I don’t know how else to say it. I don’t know how nice you can really say it. It just feels like you’re really trying to get any headline you can to be relevant and I don’t love it.”

Hamlin continued: “To me, it’s a short-term gain, long-term loss. I just think you’re the premier Stock Car series in the U.S., and the premier racing sport in the U.S., be the big boys and force people to come in here and get their credentials and do it the natural way. I don’t think it’s going to be a big factor really anywhere other than Daytona… Saying that someone has a name that interests you, and that they’re going to have an automatic bid into the highest form of motorsports in the U.S., I don’t love it.”

Kyle Busch – who has never been one to shy away from honest or controversial opinions – had a different take, calling it a “unique statute” that “could benefit the sport as a whole,” but admitted he was “still a little fuzzy” on all the details of the rule.

“It’s just to bring eyeballs to our sport,” Busch said.

Austin Dillon also sees the rule change favorably, saying, “Someday I think it would be interesting if you just gave the Indy Car champion and the F1 champion those opportunities. You want to put eyeballs on the sport anyway possible.”

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National Debt Relief to back Hamlin for four races

National Debt Relief will be a primary sponsor for Denny Hamlin in four NASCAR Cup Series races this season. The first race that National Debt Relief will appear on the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota will be the season-opening Daytona 500 (Feb. 16). …

National Debt Relief will be a primary sponsor for Denny Hamlin in four NASCAR Cup Series races this season.

The first race that National Debt Relief will appear on the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota will be the season-opening Daytona 500 (Feb. 16). The other three races will be Circuit of the Americas (March 2), the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 25), and Talladega Superspeedway (Oct. 19). Additionally, they will be a season-long associate sponsor on Hamlin’s car beginning with this weekend’s Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium.

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“Personal finances are something so many of us can struggle with at different times in our lives,” said Joe Gibbs, owner and founder of Joe Gibbs Racing. “National Debt Relief has been a great resource to so many people and we are proud to partner with them to help people who need support getting out of debt.”

National Debt Relief is the second new primary sponsor Joe Gibbs Racing has announced for Hamlin ahead of the 2025 season. King’s Hawaiian, announced Jan. 22, will also be a primary sponsor in four races.

Hamlin and Gibbs lost long-time partner FedEx after the 2024 season. FedEx is no longer involved in the sport.

“National Debt Relief is going to be a great asset to our team,” said Hamlin. “Growing up, my parents did everything possible to further my racing career, and that was obviously not easy financially. So, I understand the reality that so many people are facing and the uncertainty that financial hardship can bring. I’m excited about this partnership and the opportunity we have to promote National Debt Relief’s services that allow people to get out of debt and get their life back on track.”

Chase Elliott posts funny reply to Denny Hamlin’s Spotify Wrapped edit

Chase Elliott posts a funny reply to Denny Hamlin’s Spotify Wrapped edit in 2024. Check out Elliott’s hilarious reply to Hamlin!

[autotag]Denny Hamlin[/autotag] posted his “Spotify Wrapped” on Wednesday afternoon for 2024, but it wasn’t the typical release. Hamlin revealed his own version of Spotify Wrapped, which had some funny twists. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver had three top songs, including “Boo” by Everyone, “Zero Championships” by Hendrick Motorsports fans, and “I love your podcast,” which was heard 2,311 times.

On the “Zero Championships” edit, there is a meme of Spongebob Squarepants with a [autotag]Chase Elliott[/autotag] hat, and the Hendrick Motorsports driver saw the post. In fact, Elliott replied to Hamlin’s X post by saying, “Hats for sale btw” and posted a link to his website. As of now, we haven’t seen a clever reply from Hamlin.

The NASCAR season is over, but it’s nice to see Hamlin and Elliott still going back and forth on social media. It may be over Spotify Wrapped and not racing, but hey, it’s still fun! About two months remain before NASCAR returns to Florida for the 2025 Daytona 500, but the drivers are sure enjoying the time off!

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Denny Hamlin reacts to shocking news of new crew chief at Joe Gibbs Racing

Denny Hamlin reacts to the shocking news of his new crew crew chief at Joe Gibbs Racing in 2025. What did Hamlin say about the big switch?

[autotag]Denny Hamlin[/autotag] will have a new crew chief at [autotag]Joe Gibbs Racing[/autotag] for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. On Friday morning, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Chris Gabehart was promoted to Competition Director as Chris Gayle, the now former crew chief for Ty Gibbs, takes his place on top of the No. 11 pit box starting in 2025.

With NASCAR assembled in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the banquet, Hamlin was asked by Claire B. Lang, through Alan Cavanna, about the change at Joe Gibbs Racing, and he was just as shocked as everyone else when he received the news.

“I got called into another six o’clock meeting; I’m never going to [Joe Gibbs Racing] at six o’clock ever again,” Hamlin joked. “All those meetings are bad…It does [surprise me], but again, they’ve gotta do what’s best for the company. And I think that they’re looking for an improvement on performance from the No. 54. And they’re looking for an overall performance for all the teams. Because we certainly haven’t won the amount of races as an organization as we should.”

It certainly was a shocking development, as Hamlin and Gabehart have been together since 2019 with over 20 victories on the No. 11 team. At 44 years old, Hamlin must start over with Gayle, who has only guided him through select NASCAR Xfinity Series events. This is the end of an era for Hamlin, but he hopes for even more success in 2025.

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Joe Gibbs Racing makes big changes to Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 team for 2025

Joe Gibbs Racing makes two big and surprising changes to Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 team for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.

[autotag]Joe Gibbs Racing[/autotag] shocked the NASCAR world ahead of the sport’s banquet in Charlotte, North Carolina. On Friday morning, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that [autotag]Chris Gabehart[/autotag], the crew chief for [autotag]Denny Hamlin[/autotag] and the No. 11 team, was promoted to Competition Director. In Gabehart’s place, [autotag]Chris Gayle[/autotag], the crew chief for Ty Gibbs and the No. 54 team, will take over.

This was a shocking move, as Hamlin and Gabehart have been together since 2019. In those six years, the duo won 22 races and led 5,812 laps, making them one of the best driver-crew chief combinations over the last decade. Hamlin will now be paired with Gayle, who has two wins in 214 NASCAR Cup Series starts with Joe Gibbs Racing.

Gayle has worked eight NASCAR Xfinity Series races with Denny Hamlin, which resulted in one victory in 2016. Gibbs’ crew chief for the No. 54 car has not been determined for the 2025 NASCAR season. Joe Gibbs Racing has made major changes to Hamlin’s No. 11 team, and the 44-year-old driver hopes this doesn’t mark the end of just one era.

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Hamlin ‘shocked’ by crew chief change at JGR

Denny Hamlin did not ask for a crew chief change for his No. 11 team and didn’t see it coming when Joe Gibbs Racing made that decision. “I certainly was shocked by it,” Hamlin said Friday before the NASCAR Awards banquet. Hamlin was informed the …

Denny Hamlin did not ask for a crew chief change for his No. 11 team and didn’t see it coming when Joe Gibbs Racing made that decision.

“I certainly was shocked by it,” Hamlin said Friday before the NASCAR Awards banquet.

Hamlin was informed the week after the season finale at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 10 that he would have a new team leader beginning in 2025. He did not specify the day but said it was early in the week.

The news was made public earlier today that Chris Gabehart (pictured at right, above, with Hamlin) has been promoted from the crew chief role to competition director with the organization and Hamlin will work with Chris Gayle.

Hamlin joked that he would never attend a 6:00pm meeting at JGR again because it always brings bad news. This reference goes back to August, when he was informed in a meeting with Toyota that the manufacturer’s engine infraction would result in a penalty from NASCAR.

“They’ve got to do what’s best for the company,” Hamlin said. “I think they’re looking for an improvement [in] performance on the [No.] 54, and they’re looking for an overall performance for all the team because we certainly hadn’t won the amount of races as an organization that we should.”

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Ty Gibbs is winless through two seasons at the Cup Series level. He earned his first postseason berth in 2024 and finished 15th in the standings.

Joe Gibbs Racing drivers combined for six victories. However, those victories came from Christopher Bell (three) and Hamlin (three). Martin Truex Jr. was winless in his final season as a full-time driver.

The organization went winless through the final 18 races of the season.

Hamlin and Gabehart won 22 races together in their six seasons together, including two triumphs in the Daytona 500 and the Southern 500. The team also qualified for a Championship 4 berth in three consecutive seasons, 2019-21. An eighth-place finish in the 2024 championship standings was the only time the duo did not end the year in the top five.

“I’m certainly very grateful for everything that he helped build with the [No.] 11 car and the success that we had,” Hamlin said. “I’m happy for him and his promotion. I’m happy for JGR and hopefully what it will bring to everyone else.”

Gayle moves to the No. 11 team from the No. 54 crew. He was paired with Ty Gibbs for the last two Cup Series seasons but has worked with Hamlin before in the Xfinity Series. During his tenure in that garage, Gayle worked with various Gibbs drivers, with Hamlin driving one of his race cars in eight races between 2015 and 2021. They won once together, but Hamlin doesn’t know Gayle that well.

“But anytime JGR has an employee for 20 years, they believe in him,” Hamlin said. “He probably knows me more than I know him, truthfully. The teams obviously all work together very closely, and when we debrief every Monday, and I’m giving advice on where we should steer the ship, he’s taking notes. So, I think it probably will bear quicker results than if I had to start over with someone younger and fresher.”

Gayle will be the sixth crew chief Hamlin has worked with in his career, which goes into its 20th season in 2025. Hamlin won races with each of his previous five crew chiefs; the most wins came in his pairing with Gabehart.

“I’m motivated,” Hamlin said of the future. “I’m certainly motivated at this point. It’s just human nature. When [Bill] Belichick and [Tom] Brady split, it was like, ‘Well, who was it? Was it him? Or was it you?’ So, I think you’re always going to have that motivation of wanting to show it was you.”