Sporting Carl Edwards’ livery, Denny Hamlin won his second consecutive victory of the season at the latest race at Darlington Raceway, following a success at Martinsville. Positioned second in the driver standings, the Joe Gibbs Racing ace shared a light-hearted exchange with Edwards, ahead of the race.
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Hamlin recounted that Carl joked about him not winning the Goodyear 400 race, narrating, “I think he said, ‘Don’t win this race, they might make you do a backflip.’ I said, There’s no chance. I probably would break the back of my head because I wouldn’t even get full 180 flip, so… He’s way more athletic than I am in that sense.” Despite the jest, Hamlin expressed his deep respect for Edwards, noting it was a privilege to race in such a paint scheme.
Sharing insights into the evolving relationship with Carl Edwards, Hamlin reflected that their conversations have become more frequent since Edwards stepped away from racing, given as per Hamlin’s claims, that’s how his relationships with former teammates bloom — after they’ve moved on.
He went on to express his appreciation for Edwards’ ongoing contributions to NASCAR, particularly his new role as a broadcaster. He asserted that the whole team feels fortunate to see him return to the sport, even if it’s in the broadcasting booth.
Hamlin also commented on the nostalgic paint scheme of his car, noting, “I loved the scheme. It was just one that I raced against, one that I got beat by a lot. Carl is someone that you certainly look up to.”
During their tenure as teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing in the final years of Carl Edwards’ NASCAR Cup Series career, Edwards kept an upper hand in performance over Hamlin.
In 2015, Edwards secured a top-five finish in the driver standings, capturing one victory and five top-five finishes, overshadowing Hamlin, who settled for ninth place despite achieving two wins and twelve top-five finishes [mostly in the regular season].
The following season saw Edwards continue his form, winning three races and bagging top-five finishes in six races, which landed him fourth in the final standings. Hamlin, while matching Edwards’ win tally with three wins, managed eight top-five finishes, leading to a sixth-place finish in the final driver standings table.
