What Denny Hamlin Really Meant by “They Can Boo My Rock” Taunt to NASCAR Fans

Rahul Ahluwalia | 13/07/2024
NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin (11) during drivers introductions before the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

As NASCAR heads to Pocono Raceway this weekend, it is hard not to talk about Denny Hamlin. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is the winningest Cup Series driver at ‘The Tricky Triangle’. Over the years, the #11 Toyota Camry driver has logged seven victories at the Long Pond, Pennsylvania facility.

Hamlin heads to the 2.5-mile-long track this weekend as the defending winner. Last season’s battle for the win saw him take on Kyle Larson on the track, running the latter wide in typical Larson fashion during the final laps of the event. Hamlin was met with a barrage of boos from the crowd as he celebrated his record win and taunted the fans stating, “I love it. They can boo my rock out of here in a few years.”

The rock Hamlin referred to was the track’s tradition of honoring accomplished drivers via rock installations at the venue with the drivers’ names on them. Having won the most events at Pocono of any driver in NASCAR history and chasing another one this year, Hamlin is bound to have an installation honoring his achievements at the track in the future.

The Virginia native will keep NASCAR greats such as Richard Petty and Mario Andretti company whenever the installation comes to fruition.

Hamlin’s 2022 disqualification cost him his 8th win

The JGR veteran would have been chasing his ninth victory at the track had NASCAR not disqualified him during his 2022 appearance. Hamlin managed to win the event that year, but post-race penalties saw him and second-place finisher Kyle Busch disqualified from the race after issues were found with the front fascia of their respective cars.

According to Racing America, an unapproved piece of tape was added to the nose of Hamlin’s Toyota Camry TRD, right in front of the wheel wells. This was flagged down as NASCAR inspected the winning car post-race, warranting the 23XI Racing co-owner’s disqualification.

At the time, the #18 Toyota entry driven by Kyle Busch also suffered the same fate and was stripped of its P2 finish at ‘The Tricky Triangle’.

 

Two years later, Hamlin is back in position to challenge for his eighth win at the track, making a solid case for a rock installation at the venue honoring his achievements in the Pocono hills.

Post Edited By: Srijan Mandal
Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing NASCAR Cup Series

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Rahul Ahluwalia

Rahul Ahluwalia is a NASCAR Content Strategist and Journalist at The SportsRush. Hailing from a Journalism and Mass Communication background, Rahul's love for automobiles transformed into his passion for all things racing. With over 1200+ articles under his belt covering a mixture of NASCAR and F1, he has realized his calling in the world of motorsports with actual first hand experience behind the wheel to back it up. He has competed in several autocross events as well as rallycross-style competitions to hone his skills behind the wheel and better understand the mindset of a racecar driver, allowing him to further improve his writing as well. He also has an editorial background with respect to racing and has eye for stories which otherwise go unnoticed. Rahul is also an avid sim racer indulging in various disciplines such as rallying and oval racing during his free time. Having begun his motorsports journey at the start of 2020, he turned his passion into his work allowing him to delve deeper into the ever evolving and world of cars and motorsports. Apart from racing, Rahul also has sound technical knowledge of the automotive industry and automobiles in general. Having grown up playing video games such as Need for Speed, Forza Motorsport and Gran Turismo, it is easy to see where the love for racing and machines inculcated in the first place.

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