Denny Hamlin has not been the most popular Cup Series driver over the past few years. His outspoken nature and controversial opinions have often led to him being on the bad side of the fandom. But now that he is 44 years old and approaching retirement, the negativity against him might be on the downward slope. Former driver Kyle Petty recently spoke about this at length on Fast Talk.
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Back when Joe Gibbs brought Hamlin into NASCAR from the ranks of late model racing, people were instantly in love with him. He was fast in the car and was winning races right from the get-go. But over time, distractions got in his way, and the thought that he wasn’t serious about his career began to develop. One thing led to another over the years, and a serious relationship of hate began.
Petty detailed all this and continued, “We keep talking about how old he is. We keep talking about 60. I think people are pulling for him to get to 60 [wins]. I think some of these guys have turned the corner on him, kind of like they have Kyle Busch and kind of like they have these older guys. But that’s my only explanation.”
There is a reason why Petty has been led to think this. Anytime Hamlin wins a race and expresses an opinion in Victory Lane, he is met with a chorus of boos. The crowd never seems happy and jubilant to see him win, which is an inevitable outcome when a driver mocks the fans for beating all their favorite drivers. But despite everything, he wasn’t met with any negative jeers after winning the Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway last Sunday.
The break from the ordinary is what makes Petty believe that fans might have finally got around their hate for the No. 11 driver. For all the bravado that Hamlin shows outside, it is only natural that he wants the fans to love him and celebrate him. Now that retirement could soon be approaching, he will want to leave the tracks with the loudest cheers on his side.
Hamlin spoke about his retirement plans recently and mentioned that he’d like to wait and see how his performances unfold in the coming months before making a call. For now, he has a seat secured at Joe Gibbs Racing. There is also the possibility that he might race for 23XI Racing before calling it quits. Either way, he is likely to have the support of fans when he does hang it all up.
