Every good sport needs villains. NASCAR is no different. But NASCAR has a problem: the drivers of today aren’t nearly as interesting as they were back in, say, the early 2000s or even the 1990s. You had iconic personalities of the sport in Dale Earnhardt Sr., Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, etc. But today, drivers are much more tame and relaxed in the media and online, with Denny Hamlin being the only one who consistently speaks his mind on a regular basis.
Denny Hamlin
Hamlin is obviously the biggest villain in NASCAR today. He embodies just about every villainous stereotype. We know he will do whatever he has to do to win in most situations without remorse or regret. He will say what’s on his mind, no matter how harsh or PG-13 it may be. Also, he seems to headline a new rivalry atop the sport every year. Of course, there was his beef with Ross Chastain in 2022 and with Kyle Larson this past year. But even going back ten years or so, there was his rivalry with Joey Logano in 2013 that resulted in one of the most dramatic finishes in recent memory and Hamlin breaking his back in the subsequent crash at Auto Club Speedway. And, of course, his rivalry with Chase Elliott in 2017. But Denny Hamlin is 43, and NASCAR needs new villains.
Ross Chastain
Ross Chastain has the blueprint of a villain, but he doesn’t lean into it enough. His driving style, in the past, has rubbed most of the Cup Series field the wrong way. He has a very “All or nothing” mentality. He is like NASCAR’s version of a gunslinger in football when a quarterback is always going for it all and not worrying about the consequences, and that’s what Ross does. He does whatever he thinks needs to be done to win, regardless of the potential outcome.
Ty Gibbs
Ty Gibbs was very much the villain during his tenure in the Xfinity Series. But he has been much more mature since he has gotten to the Cup Series, although his reputation precedes him. He rarely minces his words when frustrated and doesn’t tend to hold back on the track, but like Ross Chastain before, I wish Ty would lean into it a bit more and embrace the well-known fact that people hate him.
There Is Hope For Future Villains
There are several drivers in the Xfinity and Truck Series that could hold that villain role and hold it well.
After how this past season ended, Austin Hill has started to enter the conversation as one of NASCAR’s up and coming villains. He drives aggressively but not over-aggressive. And when he’s angry, he will not hold back on camera either. Earlier this year at Martinsville, Hill was so annoyed with teammate Sheldon Creed that Hill, whether accidentally or on purpose, I can’t say, revealed on national television that Creed would be leaving Richard Childress Racing for Joe Gibbs Racing prematurely.
Sheldon Creed himself is not free of the villain title himself, as he also shares some of those characteristics. Creed has shown on several occasions that he is willing to do just about whatever he needs to do to win, although that has yet to result in an Xfinity Series win. He also does not shy away from speaking his mind, though generally, he is more reserved.
Carson Hocevar is quite possibly the most abrasive driver in the sport. Like his mentor, Ross Chastain, he seems to have that same “All or Nothing” approach. Hocevar has created a reputation for having little regard for his opponents and just being incredibly aggressive. With Hocevar entering the Cup Series next year, I expect him to show signs of maturity as he did several times this past season in the Truck Series. But very rarely do villains truly change for the better.
Image: Denny Hamlin wins again at Pocono. Credit: Partick Vallely
