“They [FRR] ceased to exist after a championship,” Hamlin continued. “I think that depending who you ask, I think on one side they [NASCAR] could care less whether you’re here or not and for us, we certainly have got a lot of people that have put their heart and souls into this team and want to see it succeed.”

Tyler Reddick needs no pep talk or motivation when it comes to winning his first Cup Series title. He drives for Michael Jordan and the NBA Hall of Famer collected six championships in his unwavering desire for excellence at all times.