Denny Hamlin has been steering through the NASCAR Cup Series for over 21 years and has captured nearly every crown jewel race, though the Cup Championship still slips through his fingers. At 44, his reputation remains unspotted among fans, who see him as one of the most competitive and consistent drivers on the grid. Yet there is one line he refuses to cross once the curtain falls on his career.
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Ahead of Gateway, Hamlin reflected on the work ethic that separates him from the pack, saying, “Everyone’s different, and so that’s the toughest part, is understanding that I’ve got the reins to the horse. But the horse is driving me as an owner, instead of the other way around.”
“So, I just think that there’s a few people in every sport that are just built a little different and they just won’t settle for anything but winning,” he added, underlining that victory is the only finish line he chases.
More than anything, Hamlin guards his hunger to compete with heart and soul. He refuses to hang around for the sake of mileage or to stay on track when his fire burns low. He said he will race only till he is convinced he can still climb higher, and his intent remains to push forward on that belief.
As Hamlin explained, “It’s like, the countdown has begun and I just don’t want to end knowing, ‘Man! Those last 70 races, I didn’t really give it my all. I could have had 70 wins if I really buckled down and I really gave it all, and I’m going to regret one day not having the wins that the work ethic kept me from doing.'”
“So, that would weigh on me well beyond my driving career, and there’s no way I could live with the weight on my shoulders knowing that I shipped it in for the last 70 or so races,” he pinpointed, unwilling to let complacency hamper his legacy.
The No. 11 JGR driver has long been a model of consistency. Though he has reached the Championship 4 six times and finished runner-up once in 2010, the Cup title still dangles out of reach. Entering Bristol atop the standings, the spotlight lingers on whether this could finally be the season he bags the championship.
