Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch, once teammates, have both rewritten their legacies, on and off the track. Hamlin recently won his 60th career race at Las Vegas, while Busch is slightly ahead with 63 wins to his name, both sitting among the NASCAR Cup Series top 10 all-time winners.
Advertisement
Beyond the numbers, Busch and Hamlin have undergone striking personality transformations since their early days in the sport. They have evolved in opposite directions, though, but shaped by one common influence.
When Busch first burst onto the NASCAR Cup Series scene in 2004, he was bold, brash, and utterly fearless. His driving style was aggressive, his attitude unapologetic, and his temper legendary. Busch refused to take nonsense from anyone, whether rival drivers or mocking fans, earning the moniker Rowdy.
But time, and life, have mellowed him. Marriage to Samantha Busch and fatherhood have reshaped his perspective, with his son Brexton’s own budding racing career prompting a more reflective side.
His current team owner, Richard Childress, has highlighted this evolution. He admitted that Busch’s edges have softened, especially now that Brexton is following in his footsteps. Busch, who once thrived on chaos, now carries himself with the awareness that his every move sets an example for his son.
Joe Gibbs, who worked closely with both drivers during their formative years, sees a similar transformation in Hamlin, though in the opposite direction. “Honestly, I would say that probably one of the biggest changes in a personality is when Denny first came to us. He was so quiet. You had to try to get him to talk,” Gibbs recalled.
“[But] today, look at where he is today. It’s been so interesting to watch that over the years,” added Gibbs, attributing that change to maturity and family.
“Part of it is maturing. I do think one of the changes, too, is family and everything he’s got going there with Jordan. I think it’s just one of those things where somebody matures, becomes a father, and takes on a huge responsibility, has his own race team, all of that probably causes somebody to actually change their personality,” added Gibbs.
Hamlin’s transformation stands as one of the most dramatic Gibbs has ever witnessed in the sport. The once-reserved driver now leads with confidence, balancing his roles as a father, team owner, and championship contender with ease.
For both Busch and Hamlin, family has been the great equalizer. Parenthood has taught Busch restraint and Hamlin assertiveness, two men once worlds apart, now meeting in the middle ground, mature in their own ways.
With Hamlin recently welcoming a son this June, joining his two daughters at home, it remains to be seen how the soft-spoken girls’ dad adjusts to having a boy in the house.
