Denny Hamlin has made a habit of finding victory lane this season, tallying six wins, but his post-race ritual goes far beyond the celebrations with friends, family, or crew. Each time he wins, Hamlin takes out time for one tradition he refuses to skip: meeting face-to-face with every member of his Joe Gibbs Racing team, including those he rarely sees during the exertion of a race weekend.
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Ahead of Sunday’s race at Martinsville, Hamlin spoke about the “banner ceremonies” held at the JGR shop after each win, explaining why the moment never loses its meaning.
“From my standpoint, I run out of things to say. I try to get as creative as I can; each one is a little bit different. You don’t get to see the carpet walkers all the time on the second floor who are not touching the racecar. You have the competition side on the other side, and you got folks in the fabrication shop; you just don’t see those folks that often.”
For Hamlin, it’s a rare chance to bridge the gap between the shop and the track.
“It’s just an opportunity to see them face-to-face and thank them; otherwise, the only other time we get to thank them is in victory lane or at the Christmas party at the end of the year. It’s our only shot. We try to do our best to show our appreciation because we know it’s our face time with them,” he continued.
This marks Hamlin’s first trip to the Championship 4 since 2021, and he’ll share that honor with teammate Chase Briscoe, who also locked himself into the finale at Phoenix.
But before that, the #11 JGR driver will roll off fifth at Martinsville, where he’ll aim to keep momentum on his side. Meanwhile, Briscoe has already pledged to help teammate Christopher Bell secure his spot in the title round.
Bell, sitting 37 points above the cutline, will be the only playoff driver outside the top 10 in qualifying, starting 12th. His closest rival, Kyle Larson, 36 points to the good, will line up third. With so much on the line and six drivers chasing the same prize, Sunday’s short-track show will be to test loyalties (among the teammates) as much as speed.
