Even though he sometimes displays a fiery and sometimes arrogant personality on track, Denny Hamlin, for the most part, deep down inside, is really a kind of modest and almost shy guy.
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Following this past Sunday’s win at Las Vegas – perhaps more so than he’s ever shown – the veteran Joe Gibbs Racing driver was uncharacteristically emotional over his reaching the 60-win milestone, thinking of his ailing father who watched the race on TV, and the fans who applauded him for his notable accomplishment.
“It was the most significant win of my career and I can’t think of any that were bigger,” Hamlin said while appearing on the “The Day After” podcast.
Now, remember, this comes from a guy who has won NASCAR’s biggest race – the Daytona 500 – three times and has won at almost every track on the Cup circuit.
Win made even sweeter by fans’ reaction
But what made his Las Vegas win so special, in addition to hitting the 6-0 mark, was how fans reacted to Hamlin when he climbed out of his race car on the frontstretch. Even non-Hamlin fans gave him a standing ovation and a long period of well-deserved applause.
“I’m a fairly high emotional person, I just don’t bring the emotion into work,” Hamlin said. “I never get rattled on the racetrack, it doesn’t matter what happens. I’m able to keep a level head for the most part.
“Now outside of the car, I feel as though I’m just like everyone else and (I) get emotional about things when it comes to family and kids and all that stuff,” Hamlin said. “So yeah, I think I was a bit more vulnerable than what I had planned on being. And something that certainly the fans had not seen before.”
Hamlin has always had a kind of back-and-forth relationship with NASCAR fans, particularly those who are normally not his supporters.
“To me I’m okay with whatever they choose,” Hamlin said. “I’ve said that many times and if you want to boo me, I am okay with that, I really am. It does not hurt my feelings at all. If you want to cheer for me, great, even better.”
Hamlin drew parallels between his own long pursuit of a significant victory and Earnhardt’s long-awaited Daytona 500 triumph. He emphasized how that moment transcended personal bias or team loyalty.
“I’m like, man, that’s awesome that he was able to finally win the 500 because I clearly knew he was capable. He just got unlucky and didn’t win it a bunch of times. He finally got what he deserved.”
For Hamlin, that same understanding from the Las Vegas crowd struck a chord.
“What I loved about the Las Vegas fans is, I certainly got a lot of boos pre-race, but when I got out of the car and it was all cheers, I’m like, ‘Wow, they’re giving me my moment.’ Like they understand the significance of it for me and I just was very grateful for that.”
Even amid the usual rivalry and polarization that define NASCAR fandom, Hamlin’s post-race reflections and the fans’ reactions paint a picture of mutual respect.
