Denny Hamlin is inarguably one of the greatest drivers to have ever raced in the NASCAR Cup Series. The 44-year-old veteran is beating time and age every season to compete with the youngsters on the track at the highest level and beat them. This level of competition inevitably leads to some frustration between him and his on-track foes.
Advertisement
But he has no option but to let things slide at the end of the day. He explained why during a conversation on the Digital Social Hour Podcast earlier this year. He said, “It’s very difficult to keep a rivalry in NASCAR because we have what they call a motorhome lot. So, many people don’t stay at hotels. They have a bus at the racetrack.”
“So, then the girlfriends are hanging out, and the families are hanging out, and our kids hang out. It’s hard to keep it totally separate. You can be rivals on the racetrack, but then when you get back, and you’re like, ‘Oh, our kids are hanging out.’ But it’s still everyone for themselves, and everyone’s still really selfish as they should be, right?”
It is despite this situation that Hamlin found ways to pick beef with drivers like Kyle Larson and Joey Logano back in the day. His most prominent and recent rivalry was with Larson. Their relationship was one of mutual respect, close racing, and podcast conversations. But with Logano, it was a different ballgame. Their rivalry was filled with many tense moments through the years.
How Hamlin got labeled a dirty driver
He continued to explain that his image as a driver who lacked on-track ethics came from the run-ins that he had with some of the most popular drivers in the sport. Fans began developing a hatred for him, and that sentiment has stayed for a long time now.
Making a subtle mention of Chase Elliott, the son of Bill Elliott, he said, “In NASCAR, one of the fanfare guys, you know… maybe their dad raced and then their fan base went over to them, and then when I come in there, and maybe I roughed them up, they don’t like me. And so that’s fine. And I’ve kind of taken on that heel, the villain role within NASCAR, over the last few years.”
Slowly, with time, his persona as the villain of NASCAR is changing. His antitrust lawsuit settlement with NASCAR has helped a great deal recently. His impressive 2025 Cup Series championship run did too. By the time he retires, he will be a far distance from being the “dirty driver” he once was.
