Denny Hamlin looked like a man crushed under the weight of heartbreak as he climbed out of his car at Phoenix Raceway. After 312 laps of near perfection, a late caution and a pit call gone wrong left him sixth on the board and empty-handed in the championship chase once again. For most, it would be an inconsolable loss, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. believes that only one man can help the veteran star.
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For Hamlin, the sting ran deeper than numbers on a scoreboard, as this was the title he had wanted not just for himself but for his ailing father, the man who had put every dime and every dream into his racing career.
Speaking on his podcast, Dale Jr. said, “I think the only thing that might be out there for him is if he were to have a conversation with his dad… If his dad gets a chance to really truly tell him how proud of him he is, for the career he’s had, for the success that he’s created.”
Dale Jr. reminded fans of just how much sacrifice went into building Hamlin’s career. Hamlin’s parents had put everything on the line, mortgaging their home, scraping together resources, and spending countless weekends at local racetracks just so their son could chase a dream. Every step of Hamlin’s rise had been paved by their hard work and faith in him.
“If there’s anybody that could ever make Denny feel somewhat better or just at least be able to like move beyond and continue to do kick-ass things, it would be probably his dad telling him what you did was enough for me. And so hopefully that happens, and I’m sure it will. But I’m just thinking I think that’s probably the only person in the world that could probably actually take a little bit of this thing out for him,” Junior added.
For Hamlin, that conversation might become the emotional pit stop he needs to heal from yet another near miss. Dale Jr. also acknowledged that Hamlin’s current heartbreak might be clouding his outlook. The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran admitted after the race that he didn’t want to get back behind the wheel for a while, but Junior believes that feeling won’t last, as it might be a temporary emotion, confident that time will reignite Hamlin’s competitive fire.
At 44, Hamlin still has the skill, the drive, and the hunger to chase the one trophy that has eluded him for so long. And when he does return, it won’t just be for himself. It will be for the man who gave everything so that Hamlin could live life in the fast lane.
