Denny Hamlin recognizes the Coca-Cola 600 isn’t your ordinary NASCAR Cup Series drive, and it certainly takes a toll on a wheelman’s well-being.
During the latest episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin described what it’s like for a driver over the course of 600 miles, and what makes NASCAR’s annual trip to Charlotte Motor Speedway one of the more grueling events of the campaign year-in and year-out.
“It takes its toll, for sure,” Hamlin said, regarding the physical toll of the Coca-Cola 600. “It just kind of depends on who you are. Every driver is a little bit different. But the 600, I think I lost — I know this was ten years ago, when they did the study, but I lost about, was it 10 or 13 pounds of water weight? Now, I took some of that back through the fluids that I took in. I think I lost actually eight pounds during the race. It was a pretty hot one, on that evening, when I did it. So it was like 13.5 pounds of sweat. Burned 2500-2800 calories. Yeah, your heart rate I think was sustained longer than a marathon runner, during the course of the same amount of time. So yeah, it takes its toll a lot.
“And for me, physically, now, it’s more on my back, more than anything. Juts kind of riding in that position that I’m riding in, in the seat, and taking bumps and stuff, and with us being on our shock limiters all the time. It makes it pretty tough. But it just takes me like a day or two to recover, and then I’m ready to go again.”
Evidently, Hamlin has figured out how to deal with the physical nature of the 600, as he’s won it in the past. If he can get to victory lane again this weekend, it would be his fourth win of 2024, and move him into the position of being the favorite for the Cup Series title this season, if he isn’t already.
Arguably Hamlin’s biggest threat is Kyle Larson, and the No. 5 wheelman may end up missing the Coca-Cola 600, if the weather at the Indianapolis 500 throws a wrench into his plans. Nobody wants to see that happen, but it’s certainly a possibility NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports are preparing for.
Time will tell what goes down, but whoever wins this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 will certainly have earned it, whether it’s Denny Hamlin or not.
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