Superstitions are nothing new in NASCAR, with drivers clinging to everything from lucky socks and pre-race meals to avoiding a shave on race day. But rarely do those quirks extend beyond the driver’s seat. In Denny Hamlin’s case, however, even his fiancée, Jordan Fish, follows her own race-day rituals.
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During a recent appearance on Haley Dillon’s podcast, Fish pulled back the curtain on her behind-the-scenes practices, sharing how she avoids doing anything that might, in her mind, jinx Hamlin’s race.
Recalling Hamlin’s win at Martinsville, Fish shared that she made a conscious decision to remain inside the motorcoach, eyes fixed on the screen, while spending time with Hamlin’s mother and looking after the kids, steering clear of the pit road altogether to avoid jinxing the outcome.
She confessed to being gripped by a strange intuition that kept her from stepping outside: “I was like, ‘Well, I don’t want to jinx it. Now if I go out there,’ and like I said, I only like to go out there if I usually like to go out there during the last stage, especially if he’s doing really bad.
“Because I’m like, well if I go out there and he’s still doing bad, it’s not that big of a deal. But I don’t like to go out there if he’s leading, and then it’s like something happens.”
Haley Dillon echoed that sentiment, admitting she, too, feels as though venturing out might upset the cosmic balance, almost like shifting the energy just enough to tip the scales the wrong way.
The Martinsville win renewed Hamlin’s confidence
After securing his first win of the season, Jordan Bianchi asked Denny Hamlin whether the thought had crossed his mind that another victory might never come, especially given that most drivers begin to fade at his age.
The question came with some weight, but Hamlin responded with a retort, calling himself “the king of irrational confidence.” He emphasized that when he has a race-winning car beneath him, he still has what it takes to run with the best — and he doesn’t hold back.
Acknowledging that “Father Time remains undefeated,” Hamlin maintained that all the tools he needs to compete at the highest level are still intact. His reflexes, instincts, and racecraft remain as sharp as ever. As per Hamlin, that day will come, but it hasn’t knocked on the door just yet.
