Denny Hamlin recently posted a video of himself and his daughter, Taylor, exploring an abandoned race track in rural Virginia on Instagram. Many years back, it went by the name of the Amelia Motor Raceway, and it was where he began his career as an eight-year-old. The visit could have been considered just another trip to the past had it not been for the current heartbreak that he is undergoing.
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The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran came frustratingly close to winning the 2025 Cup Series championship. 40 seconds from the title at Phoenix, fate turned against him, and Kyle Larson got the better of him on a restart. This result, put together with the visit to where it all began, tells a strong story. Former driver Kenny Wallace decoded this story on his YouTube show recently for his followers and fans.
Wallace said, “When you have recurring dreams, the only way to stop them is to go to the origin. It means origin means the place where the dreams happen. So, Denny goes back to where it all started. Why does he loves racing in the first place? Why did I want to become a race car driver? So, Denny goes back to that dirt go-kart track. Now, you can go check out Denny Hamlin’s video.”
“It’s over on Instagram, and it’s very heartfelt. It shows him reflecting, “Why do I even race?” Well, here’s why you race, Denny. Because you went back, you know, you went back to the origin. You went back to that dirt track. It makes you remember. It reminds you why you love racing.”
Following the season finale, Hamlin was visibly broken in spirit and mind. He wasn’t even sure if he was going to continue racing. The fight for the championship has been going on for two decades now, and any hero is bound to get tired of such repeated failures.
But if there is anything that can be found in abundance in Hamlin’s heart, it is resilience. Visiting the Amelia Motor Raceway could be the first step he takes in reviving that character again.
It could either push him towards retirement or begin a story arc that none anticipated. He is already defying odds by providing tough competition to the youngsters on the track. If he can remember that he is still the same kid who raced at Amelia for the sheer love of speed, he is bound to come back stronger than ever and make a stronger mark than ever before in the 2026 season
