155 Facts About Denny Hamlin

Denny Hamlin competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No 11 Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Denny Hamlin is the fourth driver in history to win the Daytona 500 in back-to-back seasons, joining the ranks of Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, Sterling Marlin, and William Byron.

Denny Hamlin holds the record for the most wins in the NASCAR Cup Series without winning a championship.

Since 2023, Denny Hamlin has hosted a weekly podcast on Dirty Mo Media titled Actions Detrimental.

Denny Hamlin was born in Tampa, Florida, and spent most of his childhood in Chesterfield Court House, Virginia.

Denny Hamlin began his racing career at the age of 7 in 1988, racing go-karts.

Denny Hamlin progressed to the Grand Stock division in 1998 and moved on to Late Model Stock Cars in 2000.

In 2004, Denny Hamlin competed in five NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races with EJP Racing, achieving a tenth-place finish in his debut at IRP.

In 2005, Denny Hamlin ran the full 2005 season in the Busch Series after replacing Mike Bliss in the No 20 Rockwell Automation-sponsored Chevrolet.

Denny Hamlin was announced as the full-time driver for the No 11 car for the 2006 season after Jason Leffler was released.

In 2006, Denny Hamlin completed his first full season in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series while competing full-time in the Busch Series.

Denny Hamlin won the Raybestos Rookie of the Year award and finished third in the final Cup standings, achieving the highest points finish for a rookie in the modern era of NASCAR, and the best since James Hylton in 1966.

In 2007, Denny Hamlin began the 2007 Cup season with a 28th-place finish in the Daytona 500.

Denny Hamlin achieved his third career Cup victory at the Lenox Industrial Tools 300 at New Hampshire.

Denny Hamlin clinched a spot in the Chase for the Cup, earning the sixth seed with a 50-point deficit to the leader, but ultimately finished 12th overall in the final standings.

Denny Hamlin secured a victory at Milwaukee, although Aric Almirola started the race and drove for 60 laps before handing the car over to Hamlin.

In 2008, Denny Hamlin had a season similar to the previous year, finishing eighth in points and winning early in the season at Martinsville.

Denny Hamlin dominated at Richmond, finally securing a win at his home track.

Denny Hamlin concluded the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season with a victory at the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway starting from the 38th position and led 70 laps.

In 2010, Denny Hamlin entered the season with high expectations, and many saw him as a strong contender to unseat Jimmie Johnson as the Sprint Cup Champion.

On March 29,2010, Denny Hamlin won the rain-postponed race at Martinsville Speedway in dramatic fashion, finishing ahead of his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Joey Logano and Jeff Gordon.

Denny Hamlin passed Jeff Burton on the outside and held off Jimmie Johnson to secure his 10th career win and his second victory in three races.

Less than three weeks later, on May 8, Denny Hamlin visited Victory Lane for the third time in 2010 at Darlington Raceway.

Denny Hamlin had a dominant weekend, winning both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series events.

Denny Hamlin became the first driver to sweep both races at Darlington since Mark Martin in 1993.

Denny Hamlin began in 8th position at Saturday night's Showtime Southern 500, leading 108 laps to secure the victory.

Later in the 2010 season, Denny Hamlin finished 43rd in the Emory Healthcare 500 at Atlanta, dropping five positions in the Chase standings to 10th overall.

The next week at California, Denny Hamlin managed a top-10 finish but continued to lose ground to Johnson's No 48 team.

Denny Hamlin started in 17th place and worked his way up to finish 9th, two spots behind points leader Jimmie Johnson.

In 2011, Denny Hamlin nearly won the Budweiser Shootout, but the victory was denied when Kurt Busch passed him after Hamlin crossed the yellow line in turn four while attempting to overtake Ryan Newman.

Denny Hamlin struggled in the first eight races, with his only top-10 finish being a seventh place at Las Vegas.

Denny Hamlin earned his first win of the year in the second race at Phoenix.

In 2013, Denny Hamlin's season began on a rough note with crashes in both the Sprint Unlimited and the Budweiser Duel.

Denny Hamlin showed improvement the following week with a third-place finish at Phoenix, followed by a 15th-place result in Las Vegas.

Controversy arose when Denny Hamlin spun his former teammate, Joey Logano, during a battle for position, leading to a heated exchange between the two in the garage after the race.

At Fontana, Denny Hamlin secured his first pole of the season.

Denny Hamlin soon passed both Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch to contend for the lead alongside Joey Logano.

Denny Hamlin then crashed head-on into an inside retaining wall, while their incident allowed Denny Hamlin's teammate, Kyle Busch, to take the win.

Denny Hamlin was airlifted to the hospital as a precaution.

Denny Hamlin returned at Talladega for the Aaron's 499, telling reporters that, since he wasn't ready to run a full race, he planned to switch with Brian Vickers during the first caution and pit stop using a special exit on the car's roof.

At Darlington, Denny Hamlin returned to racing for the first time since his injury, qualifying sixth.

At the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, Denny Hamlin earned the pole position with a record speed of 195.624 miles per hour, surpassing the previous record of 193.708 miles per hour set by Greg Biffle.

At Dover, Denny Hamlin started from the pole for the second consecutive week and led 41 laps before cutting a tire on lap 378, which caused him to crash and finish 34th.

Denny Hamlin struggled at Michigan, Sonoma, and Kentucky, finishing 30th, 23rd, and 35th, respectively.

At Daytona, Denny Hamlin started 24th and led 20 laps before being involved in a wreck with Juan Pablo Montoya and Martin Truex Jr.

Denny Hamlin crashed at Pocono on Lap 15 after losing control of his car in the third turn, jeopardizing his chances of making the Chase for the first time in his career.

At Richmond, Denny Hamlin received an apology text from Logano regarding their incident at Auto Club, but he chose not to respond.

Denny Hamlin secured the win after a fierce battle with Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

In 2014, Denny Hamlin began the season on a high note by winning the pole position and leading all three segments of the Sprint Unlimited, ultimately securing victory in the race.

Denny Hamlin followed this success by winning the second Budweiser Duel.

At Auto Club, Denny Hamlin developed a sinus infection that affected his vision just hours before the race.

At Talladega, Denny Hamlin won the race after the caution flag waved during the final lap.

At the Brickyard 400, Denny Hamlin finished third, but his No 11 car failed post-race inspection.

At Bristol, Denny Hamlin seemed poised to win, leading many laps until he crashed after contact with Kevin Harvick while vying for the lead.

In frustration, Denny Hamlin angrily threw his HANS device at Harvick's car during a caution period.

Some fans speculated that NASCAR should have penalized Denny Hamlin for exiting his car before safety workers arrived, a rule instituted after the tragic incident involving Tony Stewart and Kevin Ward Jr.

However, NASCAR decided against penalizing Denny Hamlin, stating that safety workers had instructed him to exit the car via radio and allowed him to throw the device.

Harvick later apologized for causing the crash on Twitter, while Denny Hamlin indicated that his acceptance of the apology would depend on Harvick's future conduct on the track.

Denny Hamlin finished the race in seventh place and ended up third in the championship standings.

In 2015, Denny Hamlin began the season by starting at the rear of the field in the Budweiser Duels due to a penalty received during Daytona 500 qualifying.

However, at Atlanta, Denny Hamlin finished 38th after being involved in a wreck with 42 laps remaining.

Denny Hamlin rebounded at Las Vegas, finishing 5th, but struggled at Phoenix, where he ended up in 24th place.

At California, Denny Hamlin had one of the best cars on the track, leading 56 laps, second only to Kurt Busch's 61 laps.

Denny Hamlin managed to rebound to 3rd with 20 laps to go, but his chances of winning were dashed when he was penalized for an uncontrolled tire during a pit stop, forcing him to the tail end of the longest line.

Denny Hamlin restarted in 29th and ultimately finished the race in 28th place.

At Martinsville, Denny Hamlin consistently stayed within the top ten throughout the race.

Denny Hamlin edged Keselowski at the finish line by just 0.3 seconds, marking his fifth victory at Martinsville, where he led a total of 91 laps.

Denny Hamlin, who had a history of feuding with Keselowski during the 2014 Bank of America 500, praised him for not wrecking him to win the race.

However, during the next round at Talladega, his car roof hatch on Denny Hamlin's car came loose on lap 84 and he was forced to make an unscheduled stop to tape down the hatch.

Denny Hamlin's car was involved in "The Big One," resulting in a crash and fire.

In 2016, With new crew chief Mike Wheeler replacing Dave Rogers, Denny Hamlin won the Sprint Unlimited.

However, at Martinsville, Denny Hamlin was running well until he wrecked after hitting the curb and slamming into the wall, finishing 39th.

Denny Hamlin competed in both the Cup and Xfinity races during the Coca-Cola 600 weekend, winning the Xfinity race and finishing fourth in the main Cup event.

Amid accusations that he intentionally let Stewart win in his final season, Denny Hamlin clarified that it was a mistake on his part.

Denny Hamlin secured a third win in the final race of the regular season at Richmond, starting from the pole and holding off Truex and Kyle Larson for the victory.

In 2017, Denny Hamlin had a challenging start to the season, which featured significant changes, including the introduction of stage racing.

Denny Hamlin secured an 8th-place finish in Stage 1 of the Daytona 500 but was involved in a major crash at the end of Stage 2, triggered by a tire blowout on Kyle Busch's No 18 Toyota Camry, ultimately finishing 17th.

Denny Hamlin rebounded with a sixth-place finish in Las Vegas, followed by another top-10 result in Phoenix.

Denny Hamlin's Toyota improved significantly after a mediocre performance at Texas.

Denny Hamlin even led a dozen laps late in the race before being overtaken by Jimmie Johnson in the final stage, ultimately finishing 10th.

Denny Hamlin used strategic pit stops to secure his first stage win of the year in Stage 2 and led more laps than any other driver.

Denny Hamlin secured a solid 8th-place finish at a crash-filled Dover race, despite being penalized for an uncontrolled tire in Stage 1.

Denny Hamlin followed up with a strong performance at Pocono, running well throughout but dropping back late to finish 12th.

At Michigan, Denny Hamlin battled intensely with Kyle Larson on the final restart and finished 4th.

Denny Hamlin led 12 laps during Stage 2 and stayed in the top two for most of the race.

The race ended under caution after Kasey Kahne crashed on the front straight, with Denny Hamlin finishing 4th overall, adding to his 5th and 4th place finishes in the earlier race stages.

At Daytona the following week, Denny Hamlin had a strong performance, leading 16 laps during Stage 2 and finishing a close second to teammate Matt Kenseth in that stage.

Denny Hamlin rebounded at the Overton's 400 in Pocono, returning to the top 5.

Denny Hamlin led 18 laps and looked like a strong contender for his second win of the season, ultimately finishing 4th.

Denny Hamlin continued his strong performance the following week, finishing 4th at Watkins Glen, where he had earned his first road course win the previous year.

Denny Hamlin had to pit with 11 laps remaining, and the caution he needed came just two laps later, resulting in a 16th-place finish.

Denny Hamlin secured a third-place finish at the Bristol night race after a consistent performance.

In overtime, on the final lap, Denny Hamlin attempted to pass Martin Truex Jr.

Denny Hamlin ultimately recovered to finish fifth and later apologized to the 2017 regular-season champion.

Denny Hamlin's playoffs started strong with a 4th-place finish, adding to his impressive consistency; his average finish over the last 10 races was 6th, the best in the field.

At Dover, Denny Hamlin managed to earn stage points to secure a spot in the Round of 12 but was forced to retire with less than 30 laps remaining due to a broken axle.

Denny Hamlin ran near the front throughout the race, collecting valuable stage points and finishing 4th.

Denny Hamlin entered the Round of 8 with controversy following a race at Martinsville, where, with just three laps remaining, he bumped Chase Elliott in a turn, causing Elliott to spin out.

At Phoenix, Denny Hamlin appeared to be on track for a Championship 4 spot after collecting 19 stage points and a stage win.

In 2018, Denny Hamlin began the season with a third-place finish at the Daytona 500.

However, Denny Hamlin was eliminated in the Round of 16 after finishing outside the top 10 at Las Vegas, Richmond, and the Charlotte Roval.

Denny Hamlin ended the season in 11th place in the final point standings, marking his first time outside the top ten since 2013, when he missed four races due to injury.

In 2019, Denny Hamlin began the season by breaking a 47-race winless streak with his second Daytona 500 victory, marking his first Cup Series win with new crew chief Chris Gabehart, who had replaced Mike Wheeler.

Denny Hamlin earned his second win of the season at Texas and followed up with victories at Pocono and the Bristol Night Race.

However, during the spring race at Dover, Denny Hamlin was rushed to the infield care center after carbon monoxide poisoning, caused by an accident that knocked out his car's right rear crush panel and allowed fumes into the cabin.

At Martinsville, Denny Hamlin collided with Joey Logano in turn four, forcing Logano into the outside wall.

On November 1, Denny Hamlin announced that he had a torn Glenoid labrum in his left shoulder, which he planned to have surgically repaired after the 2019 season.

At Homestead, Denny Hamlin started from the pole but struggled to contend for the win or the Championship.

Denny Hamlin led only two laps, dealt with overheating issues after a gamble with extra nose tape, and made an unscheduled pit stop.

Denny Hamlin managed to recover from being a lap down to finish 10th.

Denny Hamlin ended the season fourth in points, a significant improvement of seven positions from the previous year, and recorded six wins after going winless the prior season, all in his first year with Gabehart as crew chief.

In 2020, Denny Hamlin won his third Daytona 500, edging out Ryan Blaney by just 0.014 seconds in overtime, marking the second-closest finish in the race's history, only surpassed by Denny Hamlin's 2016 win.

Denny Hamlin dominated in wins at Darlington, Homestead, Pocono, and Kansas.

The victory was controversial, as Denny Hamlin had gone below the yellow line on the final lap.

In 2021, Denny Hamlin secured a Playoff berth despite not winning any races during the Regular Season.

Denny Hamlin finished 23rd at the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard after being spun out by a penalized Chase Briscoe while leading during a Green-White-Checkered attempt.

Allmendinger won the race, ensuring Denny Hamlin clinched the 16th and final Playoff spot, even if he remained winless.

On September 5,2021, Denny Hamlin won the Southern 500 at Darlington for the third time in his career, securing a spot in the Round of 12 in the Playoffs.

Three weeks later, Denny Hamlin earned his second victory of the season at Las Vegas, marking his first career win at the track and advancing to the Round of 8.

Bowman made contact with Denny Hamlin's left rear, causing Denny Hamlin to spin in Turn 3 and bringing out a caution.

Bowman went on to win the race, while Denny Hamlin finished 24th but still managed to advance to the Championship 4.

Denny Hamlin then drove into the front of Bowman's car, pushing it and giving Bowman the middle finger before heading to pit road.

Denny Hamlin ended the season with two wins, 19 top-five finishes, 25 top-ten finishes, 1,502 laps led, an average finish of 8.4, and zero DNFs.

In 2022, Denny Hamlin began the season with a 37th-place finish at the Daytona 500.

Denny Hamlin secured his second win at the Coca-Cola 600 but became more known for his ongoing feud with Ross Chastain.

Denny Hamlin joined in by continuing to obstruct Chastain before ultimately allowing him to pass.

Denny Hamlin won at Pocono but was disqualified after post-race inspections revealed an unauthorized modification to the car's front fascia.

Denny Hamlin was eliminated from championship contention after the Round of 8.

In 2023, Denny Hamlin began the season with a 17th-place finish at the Daytona 500.

Denny Hamlin secured a victory at Kansas after a tense battle with Kyle Larson, who hit the outside wall on the final lap, allowing Hamlin to pass for the win.

At Charlotte, Denny Hamlin was right-rear hooked into the outside wall by Chase Elliott, leading to Elliott's one-race suspension.

Denny Hamlin finished the season with 19 top-ten finishes, 14 top-five finishes, and three wins, placing fifth in the standings for the second consecutive year.

Denny Hamlin returned to the Xfinity Series in 2023 after a two-year hiatus, driving Joe Gibbs Racing's No 19 car to victory at Darlington in September.

Denny Hamlin had planned to participate in the race in 2022 but withdrew to recover from a crash in the previous week's Cup Series race at Daytona, ensuring he was ready for the Cup Series playoff opener the next day.

In 2024, Denny Hamlin kicked off the season with a win at the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum.

Denny Hamlin went off and finished 19th, while Byron went on to win the race.

Denny Hamlin secured his first pole of the season at Phoenix, but spun out late while racing Tyler Reddick for the lead in the third stage.

Two weeks later, Denny Hamlin triumphed again at Richmond in an overtime finish, aided by his pit crew's strong performance.

However, controversy surrounded the restart, as Denny Hamlin appeared to accelerate before the restart line alongside Martin Truex Jr.

NASCAR deemed the restart clean, and Denny Hamlin was declared the winner.

Denny Hamlin led 17 laps, continuing his streak of leading at least one lap in all seven races to start the season.

Denny Hamlin finished eighth in the points standings for the season.

Denny Hamlin started the 2025 season leading on the final lap of the 2025 Daytona 500 before being wrecked on the backstretch handing him a 24th place finish.

Denny Hamlin was then involved in the closest finish ever at Phoenix, coming off second to teammate Christopher Bell.

Later that month, Denny Hamlin won at Martinsville, his first win at the track in a decade.

Denny Hamlin scored his second consecutive win of the season at Darlington.

On February 1,2023, the Superstar Racing Experience announced that Denny Hamlin would compete in the 2023 SRX Series opener at Stafford Motor Speedway on July 13.

Denny Hamlin went on to win the event, which was shortened by lightning.

In 2016, Denny Hamlin served as a guest analyst for Fox during the Xfinity Series race at Talladega.

In 2021, Denny Hamlin appeared in the music video for Post Malone's song "Motley Crew," alongside driver Bubba Wallace.

In 2023, Denny Hamlin launched a weekly podcast with Dirty Mo Media called Actions Detrimental, which airs every Monday morning.

Denny Hamlin was one of eight playable drivers in the EA Sports NASCAR Racing arcade game, notably the only rookie featured.

In 2022, Denny Hamlin appeared on the front cover of NASCAR Rivals, alongside his car.

Denny Hamlin is the youngest son of Dennis Denny Hamlin and Mary Lou Clark.

Denny Hamlin was born in Tampa, Florida, at what is St Joseph's Women's Hospital, and moved to Virginia when he was two years old.