Denny Hamlin

Denny Hamlin
Hamlin at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2024
Born	James Dennis Alan Hamlin (1980-11-18) November 18, 1980 Tampa, Florida, U.S.
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight	154 lb (70 kg)
Achievements	2024 NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Champion (Owner) 2016, 2019, 2020 Daytona 500 Winner 2015 Sprint All-Star Race Winner 2010, 2017, 2021 Southern 500 Winner 2022 Coca-Cola 600 Winner 2008, 2014, 2017 Can-Am Duels Winner 2006, 2014, 2016, 2024 Busch Light Clash Winner 7 Wins at Pocono Raceway (Most all time) 4 Wins at Kansas Speedway (Most all time) Winner of the 1st and 2nd closest Daytona 500s ever (2016-0.010s, 2020-0.014s) Winner of the closest Xfinity Series finish at Michigan International Speedway (0.012s) First rookie to qualify for Chase for the Nextel Cup (2006)
Awards	2006 Nextel Cup Series Rookie of the Year Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023)
NASCAR Cup Series career
686 races run over 20 years
Car no., team	No. 11 (Joe Gibbs Racing)
2024 position	8th
Best finish	2nd (2010)
First race	2005 Banquet 400 (Kansas)
Last race	2024 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race (Phoenix)
First win	2006 Pocono 500 (Pocono)
Last win	2024 Würth 400 (Dover)
Wins Top tens Poles 54 358 43
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
164 races run over 19 years
2023 position	77th
Best finish	4th (2006)
First race	2004 BI-LO 200 (Darlington)
Last race	2023 Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 (Darlington)
First win	2006 Telcel-Motorola 200 (Mexico City)
Last win	2023 Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 (Darlington)
Wins Top tens Poles 18 101 21
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career
16 races run over 9 years
2013 position	93rd
Best finish	37th (2004)
First race	2004 Power Stroke Diesel 200 (IRP)
Last race	2013 Kroger 200 (Martinsville)
First win	2011 Kroger 200 (Martinsville)
Last win	2012 Kroger 200 (Martinsville)
Wins Top tens Poles 2 10 1
ARCA Menards Series career
2 races run over 2 years
Best finish	107th (2004)
First race	2004 Food World 300 (Talladega)
Last race	2005 PFG Lester 150 (Nashville)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 1 0
Signature
Statistics current as of November 10, 2024.

James Dennis Alan Hamlin (born November 18, 1980) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing. He also co-owns and operates 23XI Racing with basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan.

As a driver, Hamlin has achieved a total of 54 NASCAR Cup Series victories. His notable wins include the Coca-Cola 600 in 2022, the Southern 500 in 2010, 2017, and 2021, and the Daytona 500 in 2016, 2019, and 2020. He is also the fourth driver in history to win the Daytona 500 in back-to-back seasons, joining the ranks of Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, and Sterling Marlin.

Hamlin holds the record for the most wins in the NASCAR Cup Series without winning a championship. Despite not securing the elusive title, he has consistently been a strong contender throughout his career. With the exception of the 2013 season, Hamlin has competed in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs in every full-time season (18 seasons as of 2024). In 2013, a collision with Joey Logano severely damaged his lower back, sidelining him for a significant portion of the early season. Hamlin's rookie season in 2006 was particularly impressive, as he finished third in the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup standings, marking one of the most remarkable rookie campaigns in modern NASCAR history.

Since 2023, Hamlin has hosted a weekly podcast on Dirty Mo Media titled Actions Detrimental. In the podcast, he shares his extensive knowledge of both the business and racing aspects of the sport alongside his co-host, Jared Allen.

Driving career

Beginnings

Hamlin was born in Tampa, Florida, and spent most of his childhood in Chesterfield Court House, Virginia. He began his racing career at the age of 7 in 1988, racing go-karts. By 1997, at 15, he had won the WKA Manufacturers Cup. At 16, he started racing mini stocks, and in his first stock car race at Langley Speedway, he not only secured the pole position but also won the race. Hamlin progressed to the Grand Stock division in 1998 and moved on to Late Model Stock Cars in 2000. In 2002, he achieved ten Late Model victories, surpassing that with 25 wins and 30 poles out of 36 races in 2003. In 2004, while competing full-time in Late Model Stock Cars, he signed a driver development contract with Joe Gibbs Racing.

NASCAR career

2004–2006

Hamlin celebrating after winning the 2006 Pennsylvania 500

In 2004, Hamlin competed in five NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races with EJP Racing, achieving a tenth-place finish in his debut at IRP. He then made his first ARCA RE/MAX Series start at Talladega Superspeedway, finishing third in the No. 10 Pontiac for Fast Track Racing, owned by Andy Hillenburg. Hamlin's final race of the year was at Darlington Raceway, where he made his Busch Series debut. Starting twenty-seventh due to a rainout, he finished eighth in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Driven Performance Oil Chevrolet.

In 2005, Hamlin ran the full 2005 season in the Busch Series after replacing Mike Bliss in the No. 20 Rockwell Automation-sponsored Chevrolet. As a rookie, he finished fifth in the final championship points standings, achieving 11 Top 10 finishes and earning $1,064,110 ($1,660,077 Today) Hamlin also made his debut in the Nextel Cup Series, driving the No. 11 FedEx-sponsored Chevrolet at Kansas Speedway. He was announced as the full-time driver for the No. 11 car for the 2006 season after Jason Leffler was released. In his seven Cup starts that year, he secured three Top 10 finishes and one pole position at Phoenix.

In 2006, Hamlin completed his first full season in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series while also competing full-time in the Busch Series. In his inaugural restrictor-plate race as a Nextel Cup driver, he won the 70-lap Budweiser Shootout, defeating all the previous year's pole winners and becoming the first Rookie of the Year candidate to win the event. Hamlin secured his first career Busch Series victory at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on March 5. On June 11, 2006, he earned his first Cup Series win at the Pocono 500, where he also achieved his second career pole. Hamlin followed this with a second win on July 23 in the Pennsylvania 500, also at Pocono Raceway, making him only the second rookie in Nextel Cup history to sweep both races at a track in the same season (the first being Jimmie Johnson at Dover Downs International Speedway in 2002), with both victories coming from pole position. 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. Notably, he became the first rookie to qualify for the Chase for the Nextel Cup, finishing third in points.

2007–2008

Hamlin practicing for the 2007 Ford 400 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway

2008 Nationwide car

in 2007, Hamlin began the 2007 Cup season with a 28th-place finish in the Daytona 500. He achieved his third career Cup victory at the Lenox Industrial Tools 300 at New Hampshire. However, he finished 43rd in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona after getting involved in an early wreck, marking the first 43rd-place finish of his career. 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. In the Nationwide Series, Hamlin achieved three victories, winning races at Darlington, Michigan, and Dover while driving the No. 20 Rockwell Automation Chevy. He also secured a victory at Milwaukee, although Aric Almirola started the race and drove for 60 laps before handing the car over to Hamlin. As a result, Almirola received the points, purse, and credit for the win.

In 2008, Hamlin had a season similar to the previous year, finishing eighth in points and winning early in the season at Martinsville. At Richmond, He led 381 out of 410 laps in the 2008 Crown Royal Presents the Dan Lowry 400, showcasing one of the most dominant performances by a driver since 2000, but ultimately finished 24th after cutting a tire. Additionally, he won four races in the Nationwide Series, driving both the No. 18 and No. 20 cars for Gibbs, as well as the No. 32 Dollar General/Hass Avocados-sponsored car for Braun Racing.

2009: 4-win season

Hamlin racing at Lowe's Motor Speedway in 2009

In 2009, He continued driving the No. 11 car in The Sprint Cup Series and also shared the No. 20 car for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Nationwide Series. On August 3, 2009, Hamlin secured his fifth career Cup win at Pocono. Before the final restart, he confidently declared, "I'm going to win this race." True to his word, he surged from sixth to first, breaking a 50-race winless streak. This victory marked his third at Pocono and was especially emotional, as it came just days after the passing of his grandmother, Thelma Clark.

Hamlin dominated once again at Richmond, finally securing a win at his home track. On October 25, 2009, he held off Jimmie Johnson to win the TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway. He 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. This capped off his year with an impressive 5th place finish in the overall standings, achieving 4 wins, 15 top-5 finishes, and 20 top-10 finishes.

2010: 8-win season and runner-up in points

Hamlin in victory lane after winning the 2010 Air Guard 400

In 2010, Hamlin entered the season with high expectations, and many saw him as a strong contender to unseat Jimmie Johnson as the Sprint Cup Champion. However, on January 22, he tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee while playing basketball. Despite the injury, Hamlin postponed surgery until after the season to focus on competing. On March 27, he announced that he would undergo knee surgery the following Monday to prevent further damage.

On March 29, 2010, 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. Just two days later, he underwent knee surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left knee. Despite the setback, Hamlin returned to racing on April 19, 2010, just three weeks after the procedure. Starting from 28th at Texas, he worked his way up through the field and, with 13 laps remaining, restarted in 2nd place. 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, Hamlin visited Victory Lane for the third time in 2010 at Darlington Raceway. He had a dominant weekend, winning both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series events. Hamlin became the first driver to sweep both races at Darlington since Mark Martin in 1993. Hamlin began in 8th position at Saturday night's Showtime Southern 500, leading 108 laps to secure the victory. A few races later, he dominated the Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500 Presented by Target at Pocono Raceway, leading the most laps and earning his 12th career win, his fourth of the season, and his fourth at Pocono. The following week, Hamlin set a career-high with his fifth win of the season, triumphing at Michigan after starting 7th.

Later in the 2010 season, Hamlin finished 43rd in the Emory Healthcare 500 at Atlanta, dropping five positions in the Chase standings to 10th overall. Despite the setback, the top 10 drivers in the Chase were locked in after Atlanta, ensuring Hamlin's spot in the 2010 Chase for the Sprint Cup. In the first Chase race, Carl Edwards' driver error caused Hamlin to spin with 85 laps remaining. As several cars ahead ran out of fuel, Hamlin narrowly lost to Clint Bowyer.

In the AAA 400 at Dover, Hamlin finished 9th, retaining the points lead by 35 over Jimmie Johnson. The following week at Kansas, Hamlin struggled with a difficult-handling car and finished 12th, which cost him the points lead. Jimmie Johnson, who finished 2nd, took an 8-point advantage. The next week at California, Hamlin managed a top-10 finish but continued to lose ground to Johnson’s No. 48 team. At Charlotte Motor Speedway, Denny Hamlin led a lap—his first lead in the Chase—finishing 4th, one spot behind points leader Jimmie Johnson, which cost him 5 points. However, he achieved a significant triumph at Martinsville Speedway, securing his series-leading seventh victory of the season. This victory marked Hamlin's third consecutive win at Martinsville and his fourth overall at the historic track, narrowing the points gap to just 6 behind Jimmie Johnson, who finished 5th.

Next up was the Amp Energy Juice 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Denny Hamlin started in 17th place and worked his way up to finish 9th, two spots behind points leader Jimmie Johnson. This result put Hamlin 8 points further behind in the standings, totaling 14 points. He then won the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, taking the lead in the standings by 33 points over Johnson with two races remaining. At Phoenix, Hamlin started 14th but finished 12th. After the race, he was furious and threw a water bottle in frustration because he had to pit with 14 laps to go due to a fuel shortage. With one race left, Hamlin led Johnson by 15 points and was 46 points ahead of Kevin Harvick. However, in the Final race, he lost the lead to Johnson after spinning out and ultimately finished 14th, ending up 39 points behind Johnson.

2011

Hamlin at Pocono Raceway in 2011

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.

Hamlin struggled in the first eight races, with his only top-10 finish being a seventh place at Las Vegas. However, he turned things around at Richmond, where he won both his charity event and the Nationwide race, finishing second to teammate Kyle Busch. After finishing outside the top 10 at Dover, he rebounded with top finishes of 10th and 3rd at Charlotte and Kansas, respectively.

After his third-place finish at Kansas, he climbed to 11th in points, just 1 point shy of the coveted 10th place, as the series headed to his favorite track, Pocono. A win there would have tied him for the most all-time victories at the track. However, after a disappointing 19th-place finish, he moved on to Michigan, where he had previously secured a 1st and 2nd place finish in 2010. Before the first practice at Michigan, NASCAR confiscated unapproved Sump from the three JGR teams, including Hamlin's. After showing signs of mediocrity during practices and qualifying, Hamlin secured the 10th position in the field. This victory propelled him from 12th in the standings—where he would have been at risk of being replaced in the Chase by Jeff Gordon—to 9th, guaranteeing him a spot in the Chase.

At the end of the season, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Mike Ford would not return as Hamlin's crew chief for the 2012 season.

2012: New crew chief and 5 win season

Hamlin at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2012

In 2012, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Darian Grubb would replace Mike Ford as Hamlin's crew chief for the season. Grubb had previously served as Tony Stewart's crew chief, guiding Stewart to his third Sprint Cup title in 2011.

Hamlin earned his first win of the year in the second race at Phoenix. On April 22, 2012, he secured his second victory at Kansas, outlasting Martin Truex Jr. He claimed his third win at Bristol on August 26 in the Irwin Tools Night Race. A week later, Hamlin became the first driver of the year to earn back-to-back wins, defeating Truex again at the AdvoCare 500 in Atlanta. Two weeks later, he dominated the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, winning from a 32nd-place start.

2013: Missing The Chase And Feud With Joey Logano

Front/side view of Hamlin's car

Engine of Hamlin's Toyota

In 2013, Hamlin's season began on a rough note with crashes in both the Sprint Unlimited and the Budweiser Duel. The accident in the Duel forced him to use a backup car for the Daytona 500, where he started 35th, led 33 laps, and finished 14th. He showed improvement the following week with a third-place finish at Phoenix, followed by a 15th-place result in Las Vegas. At Bristol, despite leading the most laps, he ran out of fuel. Controversy arose when 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, Hamlin secured his first pole of the season. On the final restart, he was in 12th place but made an impressive charge, reaching third with 12 laps remaining. He soon passed both Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch to contend for the lead alongside Joey Logano. The rivalry between Hamlin and Logano intensified as they battled side by side for the victory in the final two laps. On the white flag lap, Hamlin edged ahead entering Turn 3, but Logano drifted up the track, making contact with Hamlin. As Hamlin tried to regain control, he clipped Logano, sending Logano into the outside wall. Hamlin then crashed head-on into an inside retaining wall, while their incident allowed Hamlin's teammate, Kyle Busch, to take the win. After the crash, Hamlin climbed out of the car but immediately collapsed on the track. He was airlifted to the hospital as a precaution. While in the hospital, Hamlin interpreted Logano's post-race remarks about their battle as a sign that Logano held a grudge and had retaliated against him. The following day, it was announced that Hamlin had suffered a severe L1 Vertebral compression fracture, or collapsed vertebra. Dr. Petty, Hamlin's JGR physician, stated on Tuesday that Hamlin’s back would heal in six weeks, requiring time off from racing. To fill in for Hamlin, two part-time drivers from Michael Waltrip Racing stepped up: Mark Martin drove at Martinsville, and Brian Vickers covered four additional races.

He 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. As planned, Hamlin swapped with Vickers on lap 23 during a caution. According to NASCAR rules, Hamlin would still receive credit for the results since he started the race. Unfortunately, Vickers was caught in a 14-car wreck on lap 43, leaving the car with a 34th-place finish.

At Darlington, Hamlin returned to racing for the first time since his injury, qualifying sixth. In the closing laps, he held off Jeff Gordon to secure a second-place finish behind teammate Matt Kenseth. At the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, Hamlin earned the pole position with a record speed of 195.624 miles per hour (314.826 km/h), surpassing the previous record of 193.708 miles per hour (311.743 km/h) set by Greg Biffle. During the race, he led six laps and ultimately finished fourth. At Dover, 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. At Pocono, he started in 17th place and showed improvement by finishing eighth.

Hamlin struggled at Michigan, Sonoma, and Kentucky, finishing 30th, 23rd, and 35th, respectively. These poor results left him in 25th place in the points standings, 150 points behind 20th place. Without any wins, his chances of securing a Wildcard bid for the Chase were effectively eliminated. At Daytona, Hamlin started 24th and led 20 laps before being involved in a wreck with Juan Pablo Montoya and Martin Truex Jr. Although he remained on the track a lap down and received the free pass after the next caution, disaster struck on lap 148 when he hit the tri-oval wall head-on, and his car was subsequently struck by A. J. Allmendinger, causing it to go airborne.

He 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. Although he had participated in seven races in 2005, his first appearance was during a Chase race. At Michigan, he was officially eliminated from the Chase, even if he won the next four races, due to being too far behind in the points.

At Richmond, Hamlin received an apology text from Logano regarding their incident at Auto Club, but he chose not to respond. In a later interview, Hamlin expressed his belief that Logano's message was more about wanting Hamlin to avoid interfering with his title hopes rather than genuine remorse. Nevertheless, by the following season, both Hamlin and Logano declared that their feud was over.

Despite finishing 23rd in the points standings, Hamlin had a noteworthy season, highlighted by his victory in the season finale at Homestead. He secured the win after a fierce battle with Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the final 30 laps.

2014: First Championship 4 Appearance

Hamlin at Sonoma Raceway in 2014

In 2014, 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. He followed this success by winning the second Budweiser Duel. In the Daytona 500, Hamlin started in third place and led for 16 laps, emerging as a fan favorite to win and potentially sweep all three Sprint Cup events during Speedweeks. However, he was unable to overtake Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the final two laps and finished in second place.

At Auto Club, Hamlin developed a sinus infection that affected his vision just hours before the race. A half-hour before the green flag, Joe Gibbs Racing replaced him with Sam Hornish Jr., who drove Hamlin's car to a 17th-place finish. A few days later, it was revealed that the infection was caused by a piece of metal lodged in Hamlin's eye. At Talladega, Hamlin won the race after the caution flag waved during the final lap.

At the Brickyard 400, Hamlin finished third, but his No. 11 car failed post-race inspection. NASCAR impounded the vehicle for further investigation. Two days later, NASCAR suspended crew chief Darian Grubb and car chief Wesley Sherrill for six races. They fined Grubb $125,000, docked Hamlin 75 driver points, and Joe Gibbs Racing 75 owner points. Additionally, members of the No. 11 team were placed on probation until December 31, 2014. Initially, Joe Gibbs and the team considered appealing the penalties but later decided against it. In response to the penalties, Hamlin stated, "We'll just simply move forward and not let this affect our performances."

At Bristol, Hamlin seemed poised to win, leading many laps until he crashed after contact with Kevin Harvick while vying for the lead. In frustration, Hamlin angrily threw his HANS device at Harvick's car during a caution period. Some fans speculated that NASCAR should have penalized 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 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 Hamlin indicated that his acceptance of the apology would depend on Harvick's future conduct on the track.

Despite the shortcomings of him and his team during the regular season, Hamlin managed to have a consistent Chase, securing a spot among the final four title contenders for the final round. With twenty laps to go, he was leading both the race and the championship. However, a caution came out, and Darian Grubb, his crew chief, opted not to stop for fresh tires and fuel, a decision that proved costly. Hamlin finished the race in seventh place and ended up third in the championship standings.

2015

Hamlin led with 11 laps remaining in the 2015 Daytona 500.

Hamlin at Bristol Motor Speedway for the Food City 300

In 2015, 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. In the Daytona 500, he came close to winning for the second consecutive year, finishing 4th and showcasing one of the best cars throughout Speedweeks. However, at Atlanta, Hamlin finished 38th after being involved in a wreck with 42 laps remaining. He rebounded at Las Vegas, finishing 5th, but struggled at Phoenix, where he ended up in 24th place.

At California, Hamlin had one of the best cars on the track, leading 56 laps, second only to Kurt Busch's 61 laps. However, a poor pit stop and a subsequent bad restart dropped Hamlin to 13th place. He 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. He restarted in 29th and ultimately finished the race in 28th place.

At Martinsville, Hamlin consistently stayed within the top ten throughout the race. However, he was penalized for an uncontrolled tire late in the race, forcing him to the back of the field in 31st place. Despite this setback, he made an impressive comeback, re-entering the top ten just 50 laps later. Following a strong restart with less than 30 laps remaining, Hamlin secured his victory after fending off a challenge from rival Brad Keselowski. He edged Keselowski at the finish line by just 0.3 seconds (one car length), marking his fifth victory at Martinsville, where he led a total of 91 laps. 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.

During the Bristol spring race, Hamlin was replaced by Erik Jones after 22 laps due to neck spasms. in May, Hamlin secured victory in the Sprint All-Star Race by beating Brad Keselowski off pit road during the final stops. This win marked Hamlin's first All-Star victory, as well as the inaugural All-Star win for both Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota.

After qualifying for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Denny Hamlin won the opening race at Chicagoland Speedway, securing his spot in the second round. 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. His car was involved in "The Big One," resulting in a crash and fire. This incident ultimately eliminated him from the Chase due to insufficient points to advance.

2016: First Daytona 500 Win

Hamlin's 2016 Daytona 500 race-winning car

In 2016, With new crew chief Mike Wheeler replacing Dave Rogers, Hamlin won the Sprint Unlimited. In the Daytona 500, he passed his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Matt Kenseth for the lead on the final lap. Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. raced side by side for the win as they crossed the start-finish line, with Hamlin—who led a race-high 95 laps—prevailing by just 0.011 seconds over Truex. This marked the closest finish in Daytona 500 history and gave team owner Joe Gibbs his first victory in the event since 1993. However, at Martinsville, Hamlin was running well until he wrecked after hitting the curb and slamming into the wall, finishing 39th. He also experienced further wrecks at Kansas and Dover.

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. At Michigan, he suffered a blown tire with 12 laps to go. During the Sonoma race, he led Tony Stewart late but misjudged his entry into the final corner, which nearly resulted in contact with Stewart, causing him to lose the lead and the race. Amid accusations that he intentionally let Stewart win in his final season, Hamlin clarified that it was a mistake on his part. However, he rebounded in the season's other road race at Watkins Glen, managing his fuel effectively—helped by two red flags and eight cautions—to secure his first road course win.

He 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. However, his championship hopes were affected when his engine failed with 26 laps remaining at Charlotte, ultimately resulting in a sixth-place finish in the points standings.<

2017: 2 win season and first feud with Chase Elliott

Hamlin at Richmond Raceway in 2017

In 2017, Hamlin had a challenging start to the season, which featured significant changes, including the introduction of stage racing. He 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. The difficulties continued with a disappointing race in Atlanta, where mechanical failures forced him to retire, resulting in a 38th-place classification.

Hamlin rebounded with a sixth-place finish in Las Vegas, followed by another top-10 result in Phoenix. At the STP 500 in Martinsville, a track where he is a five-time winner, he placed 2nd in Stage 1 but was set back by poor pit strategy and a subsequent wreck, finishing the race in 30th.

Hamlin's Toyota improved significantly after a mediocre performance at Texas. Combining the newfound speed of his JGR car with his exceptional short-track talent, he secured two 8th-place finishes in stages 1 and 2 at Bristol. He even led a dozen laps late in the race before being overtaken by Jimmie Johnson in the final stage, ultimately finishing 10th. At his home track in Richmond, another short track, he led 50 laps and made a brilliant move past Brad Keselowski from 2nd place on the sixth restart, earning a 3rd-place finish along with valuable stage points from both stages.

Hamlin's exceptional skills on restrictor-plate tracks were evident at Talladega. He used strategic pit stops to secure his first stage win of the year in Stage 2 and led more laps than any other driver. Despite his strong performance, he fell back late in the race and missed the victory. At the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, he claimed his second stage win in Stage 3, leading the final 10 laps of that segment. Although a poor restart from the front dropped him to 10th at the beginning of the final stage, Hamlin worked his way back through the field to finish 5th, earning valuable points in the standings.

Hamlin secured a solid 8th-place finish at a crash-filled Dover race, despite being penalized for an uncontrolled tire in Stage 1. He followed up with a strong performance at Pocono, running well throughout but dropping back late to finish 12th. At Michigan, Hamlin battled intensely with Kyle Larson on the final restart and finished 4th.

Returning to Sonoma, the site of his memorable 2016 duel with Tony Stewart, Hamlin put on an impressive performance. He led 12 laps during Stage 2 and stayed in the top two for most of the race. However, as his tires lost grip late, he fell from 2nd to 4th place, losing positions to Clint Bowyer with six laps to go and Brad Keselowski on the final lap. The race ended under caution after Kasey Kahne crashed on the front straight, with Hamlin finishing 4th overall, adding to his 5th and 4th place finishes in the earlier race stages.

At Daytona the following week, Hamlin had a strong performance, leading 16 laps during Stage 2 and finishing a close second to teammate Matt Kenseth in that stage. However, his race ended in frustration when he got caught up in a three-car incident with three laps remaining while running seventh. As he attempted to get moving again, his car erupted into flames, forcing an early retirement and marking his second DNF of the year.

The next race in Kentucky resulted in another strong top-5 performance for Hamlin, with finishes of 4th and 5th in the stages and 4th overall. The following week, he finally broke through. Starting 8th on the grid in New Hampshire, Hamlin finished 9th and 2nd in the stages before leading 52 laps on his way to victory. This win marked his 30th career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his third Cup win at Loudon, and Joe Gibbs Racing’s first victory of the 2017 season.

A dismal race in Indianapolis followed, where a blown tire in overtime cost Hamlin a top-5 result, leaving him to finish 17th. He rebounded at the Overton's 400 in Pocono, returning to the top 5. The race centered around four main contenders: Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., and Kevin Harvick. Hamlin led 18 laps and looked like a strong contender for his second win of the season, ultimately finishing 4th. Busch claimed victory, signaling that JGR was back to its usual competitive form. 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.

Heading into the next race at Michigan, Hamlin's long-time partner, Jordan Fish, was close to the end of her pregnancy, with their baby due at any moment. As a precaution, Christopher Bell ran practice laps in Hamlin's No. 11 Toyota, ready to step in if Fish went into labor during the weekend. However, she did not. The team took a bold strategy, staying out on old tires and hoping for a caution, but it didn't work out as planned. Hamlin had to pit with 11 laps remaining, and the caution he needed came just two laps later, resulting in a 16th-place finish.

Hamlin secured a third-place finish at the Bristol night race after a consistent performance. The following week at Darlington, he dominated both the Xfinity and Cup races. In the Xfinity race on Saturday, Hamlin outdueled Joey Logano, executing a crossover move in the last corner to cut underneath and take the win. In the Cup race, Hamlin's 'Flying 11' proved to be the most consistent and fastest car, leading 124 of the 367 laps en route to victory. Despite a late pit road mistake, he claimed his second win of the season. However, both wins were deemed "encumbered" after NASCAR found an illegal rear suspension component during post-race inspection. As a result, Hamlin was docked 25 points, and his crew chief, Mike Wheeler, was fined $50,000 and suspended for two races. This Cup Series victory would mark Hamlin's last until the 2019 Daytona 500, 47 races later.

The final race of the regular season at Richmond resulted in another top-five finish for the No. 11 car, but it could have been even better. In overtime, on the final lap, Hamlin attempted to pass Martin Truex Jr. for second place but slid his tires, which caused him to collect Truex and send him into the outside wall. Hamlin ultimately recovered to finish fifth and later apologized to the 2017 regular-season champion.

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. This solid performance positioned him well for the second playoff race at New Hampshire, a track where he had previously won three times, including once earlier in the summer. However, he finished 12th this time after a relatively average race. At Dover, 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.

The Round of 12 started strong for Hamlin, as he secured his first pole of the season for the Charlotte. He ran near the front throughout the race, collecting valuable stage points and finishing 4th. This result placed him 5th in the standings, 13 points above the cutoff line heading into Talladega.

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. Many fans believed the incident was intentional, as they booed Hamlin during his post-race interview. "I got into the back of him, and he spun out," Hamlin told NBCSN. "I was trying to get a race win... everybody was doing the same thing. I hate it for his team. I understand they've been waiting for a win for a long time, but this is for a ticket to Homestead."

At Phoenix, Hamlin appeared to be on track for a Championship 4 spot after collecting 19 stage points and a stage win. However, his hopes were dashed when he slammed the wall with under 45 laps remaining following contact from Elliott, ultimately preventing him from advancing to the final round.

2018: First Winless Season

Hamlin battling Bubba Wallace for second at the 2018 Daytona 500

In 2018, Denny Hamlin began the season with a third-place finish at the Daytona 500. Despite not winning any races during the regular season, he secured a playoff spot by maintaining consistency, achieving seven top-five finishes and 14 top-10s. However, Hamlin was eliminated in the Round of 16 after finishing outside the top 10 at Las Vegas, Richmond, and the Charlotte Roval. He 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. This was also the first season in his career without a victory, ending a 12-season streak of winning at least one race, which dated back to his rookie year in 2006 when he won both Pocono races, up until his victory at New Hampshire in July and his second Southern 500 win in 2017.

2019: Return to the Championship 4 and 2nd Daytona 500

Hamlin before winning the 2019 Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race

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. Hamlin dedicated the win to the late J.D. Gibbs. He 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, 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. Despite this setback, he remained consistent through the regular season. A 19th-place finish at the Charlotte Roval didn’t stop him from advancing to the Round of 12.

At Martinsville, Hamlin collided with Joey Logano in turn four, forcing Logano into the outside wall. Logano would lose a tire and spin out two laps later. Hamlin finished fourth while Logano salvaged an eighth-place result. After the race, the two drivers discussed the incident, which escalated when Logano slapped Hamlin’s right shoulder, sparking a brief altercation. NASCAR responded by suspending the No. 22 team's tire technician, Dave Nichols Jr., for one race for pulling Hamlin to the ground during the incident.

On November 1, Hamlin announced that he had a torn Glenoid labrum in his left shoulder, which he planned to have surgically repaired after the 2019 season. Despite the injury, he excelled during the Playoffs, securing his fifth win of the season at Kansas just two weeks earlier. He then advanced to the Championship 4 for the first time since 2014, achieving his sixth win of the year at Phoenix—his second career victory at that track since 2012. It also marked the second season in his career with at least six wins, the first being in 2010 when he had eight.

At Homestead, Hamlin started from the pole but struggled to contend for the win or the Championship. He led only two laps, dealt with overheating issues after a gamble with extra nose tape, and made an unscheduled pit stop. He managed to recover from being a lap down to finish 10th. 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 the Xfinity Series, Hamlin initially won the Darlington race but was disqualified after his car failed to meet the height requirements during the post-race inspection. Consequently, Cole Custer, who finished second, was declared the official race winner.

2020: Third Championship 4 Appearance and back to back Daytona 500 wins

Hamlin at Daytona in 2020

In 2020, 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 Hamlin's 2016 win. However, the victory was overshadowed by a severe crash involving Ryan Newman at the finish line. Newman's wreck led to his hospitalization, and controversy arose over Hamlin's post-race burnouts while Newman's condition was still unknown. Both Hamlin and team owner Joe Gibbs later apologized, with Hamlin explaining that he was unaware of Newman's status until he reached Victory Lane.

He dominated in wins at Darlington, Homestead, Pocono, and Kansas. At Homestead, he started on the pole, won both stages, and ultimately claimed victory, earning a perfect 60 points in the standings. At Pocono, he finished second in the first race of the doubleheader, just behind a slower Kevin Harvick. However, he came back to win the second race, strategically staying out late in the pit cycle, pitting under green, and maintaining the lead afterward.

After his win at Kansas, he led the series with five victories. Alongside crew chief Chris Gabehart, they were consistently the team to beat. With his win at Pocono, Hamlin surpassed Mark Martin for the second-most wins by a driver who had never won a championship. That fall, he secured the YellaWood 500 at Talladega in a photo finish over Matt DiBenedetto. The victory, however, was controversial, as Hamlin had gone below the yellow line on the final lap.

2021: Fourth Championship 4 Appearance

Hamlin's race-winning car during the 2021 Cook Out Southern 500

In 2021, Hamlin secured a Playoff berth despite not winning any races during the Regular Season. He 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. Part-time Cup driver A. J. Allmendinger won the race, ensuring Hamlin clinched the 16th and final Playoff spot, even if he remained winless. After the race, Hamlin criticized NASCAR's decision to use the road-course layout at Indianapolis instead of the track's iconic oval.

On September 5, 2021, 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, 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.

During the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville, the penultimate race of the season, Hamlin was leading with seven laps to go while battling Alex Bowman, who had already been eliminated from the Playoffs in the previous round. Bowman made contact with Hamlin's left rear, causing Hamlin to spin in Turn 3 and bringing out a caution. Bowman went on to win the race, while Hamlin finished 24th but still managed to advance to the Championship 4. After the race, as Bowman was preparing to celebrate with burnouts, Hamlin pulled up in front of him, appearing to block his celebration. Hamlin then drove into the front of Bowman's car, pushing it and giving Bowman the middle finger before heading to pit road. In his post-race interview, Hamlin called Bowman "an absolute hack" and said, "he's fucking terrible."

Despite the incident, Hamlin made it to the Championship 4 for the third consecutive year, finishing third in the final standings. He 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.

2022: First Feud with Ross Chastain and First Failure to reach Championship 4

Hamlin's No. 11 car at Sonoma Raceway in 2022

In 2022, Hamlin began the season with a 37th-place finish at the Daytona 500. Although he secured a win at Richmond, he faced challenges in the first 12 races, managing only four top-20 finishes and recording four DNFs. On May 3, 2022, Gabehart received a four-race suspension following a tire and wheel loss at Dover.

On April 26, NASCAR announced that Hamlin would be required to attend sensitivity training following a controversial tweet. The tweet, posted on April 25, mocked Kyle Larson's block on Kurt Busch during the final lap of the 2022 GEICO 500 by using a Family Guy clip. The clip depicted an Asian woman driving poorly, failing to use turn signals and causing a major accident. The tweet drew backlash, especially because Larson is Japanese American. Hamlin deleted the tweet the same day and issued an apology: "I took down a post I made earlier today after reading some of the [replies]. It was a poor choice of memes and I saw how it was offensive. It came across totally wrong. I apologize."

Hamlin's 2022 season had several noteworthy moments. He secured his second win at the Coca-Cola 600 but became more known for his ongoing feud with Ross Chastain. Their rivalry began during the 2022 Enjoy Illinois 300 at Gateway, when Chastain bumped Hamlin, sending him into the wall and ending his race. In response, Hamlin repeatedly slowed down in front of Chastain, with NASCAR eventually stepping in and stating that Hamlin had "made his point." Later in the same race, after Chastain had an incident with Chase Elliott, Elliott forced Chastain into the wall on a restart. Hamlin joined in by continuing to obstruct Chastain before ultimately allowing him to pass.

Hamlin won at Pocono but was disqualified after post-race inspections revealed an unauthorized modification to the car's front fascia. Specifically, clear vinyl had been left on the lower corners and wheel openings before the paint scheme wrap was applied, creating slight dimensional irregularities. This marked the first time a NASCAR Cup Series winner had been disqualified since 1960, when Emanuel Zervakis lost a victory due to an oversized fuel tank.

Hamlin was eliminated from championship contention after the Round of 8. At Martinsville, Chastain executed a remarkable move by riding the outside wall to overtake Hamlin for the final Championship 4 spot, pushing Hamlin out of the season finale contention for the first time since 2018. Hamlin finished the season fifth in the points standings.

2023: Second Failure to reach Championship 4 and Second Fueds with Chase Elliott and Ross Chastain

Hamlin's car at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2023

In 2023, Hamlin began the season with a 17th-place finish at the Daytona 500. On March 15, he was docked 25 points and fined $50,000 after admitting on his podcast Actions Detrimental that he had intentionally wrecked Ross Chastain during the closing laps of the Phoenix race.

In April, Hamlin was named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers. He 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. This victory marked Joe Gibbs Racing’s 400th career win. At Charlotte, Hamlin was right-rear hooked into the outside wall by Chase Elliott, leading to Elliott’s one-race suspension.

On July 23, Hamlin earned his second win of the season at Pocono, his seventh career victory at the track, breaking Jeff Gordon’s record. This win was also Hamlin’s 50th career Cup Series victory and marked Toyota's 600th overall win. Additionally, it was the first win for sponsor Mavis Tires & Brakes, who had just started sponsoring him at New Hampshire the previous week.

During the playoffs, Hamlin advanced to the Round of 12 with a victory at Bristol. This win surpassed Junior Johnson’s record for the most wins by a driver without a championship. Hamlin finished the season with 19 top-ten finishes, 14 top-five finishes, and three wins (Kansas, Pocono, and Bristol), placing fifth in the standings for the second consecutive year.

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. He 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.

2024: Third Failure to reach Championship 4

Hamlin's car at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2024

In 2024, Hamlin kicked off the season with a win at the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum. At the Daytona 500, he got caught in a wreck with William Byron. Hamlin went off and finished 19th, while Byron went on to win the race. 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. He recovered to finish 11th. The following week, he claimed his first win of the season at Bristol, which marked the first spring race on the concrete track since 2020. This race sparked controversy due to significant tire wear, likely caused by a strip of resin applied to the racing groove and cooler temperatures that hindered the track from taking rubber. (However, on August 22, the No. 11 team faced an L2 penalty following an engine inspection violation. Toyota Racing Development admitted that the race-winning engine from Bristol had been rebuilt instead of inspected by NASCAR, resulting in a 75-point penalty for both the driver and team, along with a $100,000 fine for crew chief Chris Gabehart.)

Two weeks later, Hamlin triumphed again at Richmond in an overtime finish, aided by his pit crew’s strong performance. However, controversy surrounded the restart, as Hamlin appeared to accelerate before the restart line alongside Martin Truex Jr. NASCAR deemed the restart clean, and Hamlin was declared the winner. He led 17 laps, continuing his streak of leading at least one lap in all seven races to start the season. A month later, Hamlin won at Dover. During Martinsville practice, Hamlin backed his car into the wall due to a stuck throttle. Despite the repairs, he finished 5th in the race but didn’t accumulate enough points to advance, marking his third consecutive year missing the final four and elimination in the Round of 8 during the playoffs. Hamlin finished eighth in the points standings for the season. At the conclusion of the year, it was announced that FedEx would not return as the sponsor of the No. 11 car in 2025, ending a 20-year partnership with JGR. On November 22, JGR promoted Chris Gabehart to competition director, while Chris Gayle was named the new crew chief for the No. 11 car starting in 2025.

Superstar Racing Experience

On February 1, 2023, the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) announced that Hamlin would compete in the 2023 SRX Series opener at Stafford Motor Speedway on July 13. He went on to win the event, which was shortened by lightning.

Owner career

Further information: 23XI Racing

On September 21, 2020, Denny Hamlin and NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, longtime friends, announced the formation of 23XI Racing, a single-car team for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season. Bubba Wallace would drive the No. 23 car. On October 4, 2021, Wallace secured his first career Cup Series victory at Talladega, making history as the first African-American driver to win a Cup race since Wendell Scott in 1963.

For the 2022 season, the team expanded to a two-car operation with the addition of the No. 45, driven by 2004 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Kurt Busch, who brought Monster Energy as a sponsor. On May 16, 2022, Kurt Busch delivered 23XI's second win at Kansas Speedway, leading 116 of 267 laps. Later that year, Wallace won the second Kansas race for the team that fall, driving the No. 45 in place of Busch, who was sidelined with concussion symptoms from a wreck at Pocono. In doing so, Wallace became the first African-American driver to win multiple Cup Series races.

On July 12, 2022, 23XI Racing and Toyota Racing Development (TRD) announced that Tyler Reddick would join the team full-time in 2024. However, following Busch’s announcement on October 16 that he would step away from full-time racing in 2023, it was revealed that Reddick’s contract with Richard Childress Racing would be bought out by 23XI, and he would replace Busch for the 2023 season.

In media

In 2016, Hamlin served as a guest analyst for Fox during the Xfinity Series race at Talladega. The following year, he returned to Fox for the Cup drivers-only broadcast of the Xfinity race at Pocono, where he worked from the Hollywood Hotel studio.

In 2021, 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. Hamlin hosts the show alongside his co-host, social media manager, and friend, Jared Allen. The podcast features content from the latest Cup Series race, fan questions in a segment called "Dear Denny," and additional race insights from Hamlin.

Video games

Hamlin, alongside his Toyota teammates, recorded video clips demonstrating how to drive a lap at each of the NASCAR tracks featured in the 2016 circuit for the video game NASCAR Heat Evolution. He was also one of eight playable drivers in the EA Sports NASCAR Racing arcade game, notably the only rookie featured. In 2022, Hamlin appeared on the front cover of NASCAR Rivals, alongside his car.

Personal life

Hamlin is the youngest son of Dennis Hamlin and Mary Lou Clark. He was born in Tampa, Florida, at what is now St. Joseph's Women's Hospital, and moved to Virginia when he was two years old.

Hamlin and Jordan Fish have two daughters together. On January 1, 2024, Hamlin and Jordan Fish became engaged.

Hamlin has Ostraconophobia, also known as the fear of shellfish.

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Cup Series

NASCAR Cup Series results
Year	Team	No.	Make	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	NCSC	Pts	Ref
2005	Joe Gibbs Racing	11	Chevy	DAY	CAL	LVS	ATL	BRI	MAR	TEX	PHO	TAL	DAR	RCH	CLT	DOV	POC	MCH	SON	DAY	CHI	NHA	POC	IND	GLN	MCH	BRI	CAL	RCH	NHA	DOV	TAL	KAN 32	CLT 8	MAR 8	ATL 19	TEX 7	PHO 13	HOM 33	41st	806
2006				DAY 30	CAL 12	LVS 10	ATL 31	BRI 14	MAR 37	TEX 4	PHO 34	TAL 22	RCH 2	DAR 10	CLT 9	DOV 11	POC 1*	MCH 12	SON 12	DAY 17	CHI 14	NHA 6	POC 1	IND 10	GLN 10	MCH 9	BRI 6	CAL 6	RCH 15	NHA 4	DOV 9	KAN 18	TAL 21	CLT 28	MAR 2	ATL 8	TEX 10	PHO 3	HOM 3	3rd	6407
2007				DAY 28	CAL 11	LVS 3	ATL 19	BRI 14	MAR 3	TEX 9	PHO 3	TAL 21	RCH 3	DAR 2*	CLT 9	DOV 4	POC 6*	MCH 14	SON 10	NHA 1	DAY 43	CHI 17	IND 22	POC 3	GLN 2	MCH 5	BRI 43	CAL 19	RCH 6	NHA 15	DOV 38	KAN 29	TAL 4*	CLT 20	MAR 6	ATL 24	TEX 29	PHO 16	HOM 3	12th	6143
2008			Toyota	DAY 17	CAL 41	LVS 9	ATL 15	BRI 6	MAR 1	TEX 5	PHO 3	TAL 3	RCH 24*	DAR 7	CLT 24	DOV 43	POC 3	MCH 14	SON 27	NHA 8	DAY 26	CHI 40	IND 3	POC 23	GLN 8	MCH 39	BRI 3	CAL 3	RCH 3	NHA 9	DOV 38	KAN 11	TAL 39	CLT 16	MAR 5	ATL 3	TEX 17	PHO 5	HOM 13	8th	6214
2009				DAY 26	CAL 6	LVS 22	ATL 13	BRI 2	MAR 2	TEX 12	PHO 6	TAL 22	RCH 14	DAR 13	CLT 11	DOV 36	POC 38	MCH 3	SON 5	NHA 15	DAY 3	CHI 5	IND 34	POC 1*	GLN 10	MCH 10	BRI 5	ATL 6	RCH 1*	NHA 2	DOV 22	KAN 5	CAL 37	CLT 42	MAR 1*	TAL 38	TEX 2	PHO 3	HOM 1*	5th	6335
2010				DAY 17	CAL 29	LVS 19	ATL 21	BRI 19	MAR 1	PHO 30	TEX 1	TAL 4	RCH 11	DAR 1	DOV 4	CLT 18	POC 1*	MCH 1*	SON 34	NHA 14	DAY 24	CHI 8	IND 15	POC 5	GLN 37	MCH 2	BRI 34	ATL 43	RCH 1*	NHA 2	DOV 9	KAN 12	CAL 8	CLT 4	MAR 1	TAL 9	TEX 1	PHO 12*	HOM 14	2nd	6583
2011				DAY 21	PHO 11	LVS 7	BRI 33	CAL 39	MAR 12	TEX 15	TAL 23	RCH 2	DAR 6	DOV 16	CLT 10	KAN 3	POC 19*	MCH 1	SON 37	DAY 13	KEN 11	NHA 3	IND 27	POC 15*	GLN 36	MCH 35	BRI 7	ATL 8	RCH 9	CHI 31	NHA 29	DOV 18	KAN 16	CLT 9	TAL 8	MAR 5	TEX 20	PHO 12	HOM 9	9th	2284
2012				DAY 4*	PHO 1	LVS 20	BRI 20	CAL 11	MAR 6	TEX 12	KAN 1	RCH 4	TAL 23	DAR 2	CLT 2	DOV 18	POC 5	MCH 34	SON 35	KEN 3	DAY 25	NHA 2*	IND 6	POC 29	GLN 34	MCH 11	BRI 1	ATL 1*	RCH 18*	CHI 16	NHA 1*	DOV 8	TAL 14	CLT 2	KAN 13	MAR 33	TEX 20	PHO 2	HOM 24	6th	2329
2013				DAY 14	PHO 3	LVS 15	BRI 23*	CAL 25	MAR	TEX	KAN	RCH	TAL 34	DAR 2	CLT 4	DOV 34	POC 8	MCH 30	SON 23	KEN 35	DAY 36	NHA 21	IND 18	POC 43	GLN 19	MCH 20	BRI 28	ATL 38	RCH 21	CHI 33	NHA 12	DOV 20	KAN 23	CLT 9	TAL 38	MAR 7	TEX 7	PHO 28	HOM 1	23rd	753
2014				DAY 2	PHO 19	LVS 12	BRI 6	CAL INQ†	MAR 19	TEX 13	DAR 19	RCH 22	TAL 1	KAN 18	CLT 22	DOV 5	POC 4	MCH 29	SON 26	KEN 42	DAY 6	NHA 8	IND 3	POC 9	GLN 24	MCH 7	BRI 40	ATL 3	RCH 21	CHI 6	NHA 37	DOV 12	KAN 7	CLT 9	TAL 18	MAR 8	TEX 10	PHO 5	HOM 7	3rd	5037
2015				DAY 4	ATL 38	LVS 5	PHO 23	CAL 28	MAR 1	TEX 11	BRI 26	RCH 22	TAL 9	KAN 41	CLT 8	DOV 21	POC 10	MCH 11	SON 18	DAY 3	KEN 3	NHA 14	IND 5	POC 22	GLN 27	MCH 5	BRI 3	DAR 3	RCH 6	CHI 1	NHA 2	DOV 18	CLT 4	KAN 2	TAL 37	MAR 3	TEX 38	PHO 8	HOM 10	9th	2327
2016				DAY 1*	ATL 16	LVS 19	PHO 3	CAL 3	MAR 39	TEX 12	BRI 20	RCH 6	TAL 31	KAN 37	DOV 7	CLT 4	POC 14	MCH 33	SON 2*	DAY 17	KEN 15	NHA 9	IND 4	POC 7	GLN 1	BRI 3	MCH 9	DAR 4	RCH 1	CHI 6	NHA 15	DOV 9	CLT 30	KAN 15	TAL 3	MAR 3	TEX 9	PHO 7	HOM 9	6th	2320
2017				DAY 17	ATL 38	LVS 6	PHO 10	CAL 14	MAR 30	TEX 25	BRI 10	RCH 3	TAL 11	KAN 23	CLT 5	DOV 8	POC 12	MCH 4	SON 4	DAY 24	KEN 4	NHA 1	IND 17	POC 4	GLN 4	MCH 16	BRI 3	DAR 1*	RCH 5	CHI 4	NHA 12	DOV 35	CLT 4	TAL 6	KAN 5	MAR 7	TEX 3	PHO 35*	HOM 9	6th	2353
2018				DAY 3	ATL 4	LVS 17	PHO 4	CAL 6	MAR 12	TEX 34	BRI 14	RCH 3	TAL 14	DOV 7	KAN 5	CLT 3	POC 35	MCH 12	SON 10	CHI 7	DAY 38	KEN 16	NHA 13	POC 10	GLN 13	MCH 8	BRI 14	DAR 10	IND 3*	LVS 32	RCH 16	ROV 12	DOV 2	TAL 4	KAN 14	MAR 2	TEX 30	PHO 13	HOM 12	11th	2285
2019				DAY 1	ATL 11	LVS 10	PHO 5	CAL 7	MAR 5	TEX 1	BRI 5	RCH 5	TAL 36	DOV 21	KAN 16	CLT 17	POC 6	MCH 11	SON 5	CHI 15	DAY 26	KEN 5	NHA 2	POC 1	GLN 3	MCH 2	BRI 1	DAR 29	IND 6	LVS 15	RCH 3	ROV 19	DOV 5*	TAL 3	KAN 1*	MAR 4	TEX 28	PHO 1*	HOM 10	4th	5027
2020				DAY 1*	LVS 17	CAL 6	PHO 20	DAR 5	DAR 1	CLT 29	CLT 2	BRI 17*	ATL 5	MAR 24	HOM 1*	TAL 4	POC 2	POC 1*	IND 28	KEN 12	TEX 20	KAN 1*	NHA 2	MCH 6	MCH 2	DRC 2	DOV 1*	DOV 19	DAY 3	DAR 13	RCH 12	BRI 21	LVS 3*	TAL 1	ROV 15	KAN 15	TEX 9	MAR 11	PHO 4	4th	5033
2021				DAY 5*	DRC 3	HOM 11	LVS 4	PHO 3	ATL 4	BRD 3	MAR 3*	RCH 2*	TAL 32*	KAN 12	DAR 5	DOV 7	COA 14	CLT 7	SON 8	NSH 21	POC 4	POC 14	ROA 5	ATL 13	NHA 10	GLN 5	IRC 23	MCH 5	DAY 13	DAR 1	RCH 2*	BRI 9	LVS 1*	TAL 7	ROV 5	TEX 11	KAN 5	MAR 24	PHO 3	3rd	5034
2022				DAY 37	CAL 15	LVS 32	PHO 13	ATL 29	COA 18	RCH 1	MAR 28	BRD 35	TAL 18	DOV 21	DAR 21	KAN 4	CLT 1	GTW 34	SON 31	NSH 6*	ROA 17	ATL 25	NHA 6	POC 35	IRC 14	MCH 3*	RCH 4	GLN 20	DAY 25	DAR 2	KAN 2	BRI 9	TEX 10	TAL 5	ROV 13	LVS 5	HOM 7	MAR 5*	PHO 8	5th	2379
2023				DAY 17	CAL 6	LVS 11	PHO 23	ATL 6	COA 16	RCH 20	BRD 22	MAR 4	TAL 17	DOV 5	KAN 1	DAR 12	CLT 35	GTW 2	SON 36	NSH 3	CSC 11	ATL 14	NHA 7	POC 1	RCH 2	MCH 3	IRC 19	GLN 2	DAY 26	DAR 25*	KAN 2	BRI 1	TEX 5	TAL 3	ROV 37	LVS 10	HOM 30	MAR 3*	PHO 8	5th	2383
2024				DAY 19	ATL 23	LVS 8	PHO 11*	BRI 1*	COA 14	RCH 1	MAR 11	TEX 30	TAL 37	DOV 1*	KAN 5*	DAR 4	CLT 5	GTW 2	SON 38	IOW 24	NHA 24	NSH 12	CSC 30	POC 2	IND 32	RCH 2*	MCH 9	DAY 38	DAR 7	ATL 24	GLN 23	BRI 4	KAN 8	TAL 10	ROV 14	LVS 8	HOM 3	MAR 5	PHO 11	8th	2328
2025				DAY	ATL	COA	PHO	LVS	HOM	MAR	DAR	BRI	TAL	TEX	KAN	CLT	NSH	MCH	MXC	POC	ATL	CSC	SON	DOV	IND	IOW	GLN	RCH	DAY	DAR	GTW	BRI	NHA	KAN	ROV	LVS	TAL	MAR	PHO	-*	-*
† – Qualified but replaced by Sam Hornish Jr.

Daytona 500

Year	Team	Manufacturer	Start	Finish
2006	Joe Gibbs Racing	Chevrolet	17	30
2007			9	28
2008		Toyota	4	17
2009			10	26
2010			25	17
2011			18	21
2012			31	4*
2013			35	14
2014			4	2
2015			42	4
2016			11	1*
2017			4	17
2018			2	3
2019			10	1
2020			21	1*
2021			25	5*
2022			30	37
2023			18	17
2024			8	19

Xfinity Series

NASCAR Xfinity Series results
Year	Team	No.	Make	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	NXSC	Pts	Ref
2004	Joe Gibbs Racing	18	Chevy	DAY	CAR	LVS	DAR	BRI	TEX	NSH	TAL	CAL	GTY	RCH	NZH	CLT	DOV	NSH	KEN	MLW	DAY	CHI	NHA	PPR	IRP	MCH	BRI	CAL	RCH	DOV	KAN	CLT	MEM	ATL	PHO	DAR 8	HOM		103rd	142
2005		20		DAY 33	CAL 18	MXC 15	LVS 12	ATL 16	NSH 9	BRI 9	TEX 14	PHO 11	TAL 28	DAR 7	RCH 13	CLT 20	DOV 24	NSH 7	KEN 15	MLW 6	DAY 14	CHI 15	NHA 3	PPR 14	GTY 11	IRP 6	GLN 33	MCH 8	BRI 13	CAL 20	RCH 34	DOV 6	KAN 12	CLT 30	MEM 7	TEX 19	PHO 9	HOM 37	5th	4143
2006				DAY 14	CAL 10	MXC 1*	LVS 6	ATL 38	BRI 4	TEX 10	NSH 3*	PHO 39	TAL 30	RCH 10	DAR 1	CLT 29	DOV 7	NSH 4	KEN 3	MLW 2	DAY 30	CHI 14	NHA 3	MAR 3	GTY 3*	IRP 8	GLN 12	MCH 6	BRI 22	CAL 15	RCH 6	DOV 40	KAN 33	CLT 8	MEM 6	TEX 8	PHO 3	HOM 4	4th	4667
2007				DAY 9	CAL 8	MXC 2	LVS 12	ATL	BRI	NSH	TEX 2	PHO 4	TAL	RCH 41	DAR 1	CLT 34	DOV 2	NSH	KEN	MLW RL†	NHA 5	DAY	CHI 7	GTY	IRP	CGV	GLN 14	MCH 1	BRI	CAL 3	RCH 7	DOV 1	KAN 6	CLT 5	MEM	TEX 3	PHO 28	HOM 13	13th	3224
2008	Braun Racing	32	Toyota	DAY 8	CAL	LVS	ATL		NSH 7	TEX			TAL 37								NHA 2		CHI 2	GTY	IRP	CGV	GLN 34	MCH	BRI 36	CAL		DOV 6				TEX 14		HOM 7	19th	2758
	Joe Gibbs Racing	20	Toyota					BRI 26			PHO 3	MXC		RCH 1		CLT 2						DAY 1
		18													DAR DNQ		DOV 1*	NSH	KEN	MLW											RCH 4		KAN 1*	CLT	MEM		PHO 2
2009		20		DAY	CAL	LVS 21	BRI	TEX	NSH	PHO	TAL	RCH	DAR	CLT	DOV	NSH	KEN	MLW	NHA	DAY	CHI	GTY	IRP	IOW						RCH 17	DOV 27	KAN	CAL	CLT	MEM	TEX	PHO 12		60th	729
	CJM Racing	11	Toyota																						GLN 34	MCH 32	BRI	CGV	ATL									HOM 5
2010	Joe Gibbs Racing	20	Toyota	DAY	CAL	LVS 2	BRI	NSH	PHO	TEX	TAL	RCH	DAR 1*	DOV 12	CLT	NSH	KEN	ROA	NHA	DAY	CHI	GTY	IRP	IOW	GLN	MCH	BRI	CGV	ATL	RCH 6	DOV	KAN	CAL	CLT	GTY	TEX	PHO	HOM	61st	652
2011				DAY	PHO	LVS 7	BRI	CAL	TEX	TAL	NSH	RCH 1*	DAR 2	DOV	IOW	CLT	CHI	MCH	ROA	DAY	KEN	NHA	NSH	IRP	IOW	GLN	CGV	BRI	ATL	RCH	CHI	DOV	KAN	CLT					93rd	01
		18																																	TEX 2	PHO	HOM 5
2012				DAY 32	PHO 9	LVS	BRI	CAL	TEX 4	RCH 2	TAL	DAR 2	IOW	CLT 2	DOV	MCH	ROA	KEN 33	DAY	NHA	CHI	IND 4	IOW	GLN	CGV	BRI	ATL 12	RCH 4	CHI	KEN	DOV	CLT 5	KAN	TEX 5	PHO	HOM			108th	01
2013		20		DAY	PHO	LVS	BRI	CAL	TEX	RCH	TAL	DAR	CLT	DOV	IOW	MCH	ROA	KEN	DAY	NHA	CHI	IND	IOW	GLN	MOH	BRI	ATL	RCH	CHI	KEN	DOV	KAN	CLT	TEX 2	PHO	HOM			101st	01
2014				DAY	PHO	LVS	BRI	CAL	TEX	DAR	RCH	TAL	IOW	CLT	DOV	MCH	ROA	KEN	DAY	NHA	CHI	IND	IOW	GLN	MOH	BRI	ATL	RCH	CHI 32	KEN	DOV	KAN	CLT	TEX	PHO	HOM			116th	01
2015		54		DAY	ATL	LVS 4	PHO	CAL 18	TEX 7	BRI 31				CLT 2	DOV																								83rd	01
		20									RCH 1*	TAL	IOW			MCH 10	CHI	DAY	KEN	NHA 1*	IND	IOW	GLN	MOH	BRI 3*	ROA	DAR 1*	RCH	CHI	KEN	DOV 2	CLT	KAN	TEX	PHO	HOM
2016		18		DAY	ATL	LVS	PHO	CAL	TEX	BRI	RCH	TAL	DOV	CLT 1*	POC	MCH	IOW	DAY	KEN	NHA	IND	IOW	GLN	MOH	BRI	ROA	DAR 2	RCH	CHI	KEN	DOV	CLT	KAN	TEX	PHO	HOM			89th	01
2017		20		DAY	ATL 20	LVS	PHO	CAL	TEX	BRI	RCH	TAL	CLT 5	DOV	POC	MCH 1	IOW	DAY	KEN	NHA	IND	IOW	GLN	MOH	BRI	ROA													100th	01
		18																									DAR 1	RCH	CHI	KEN	DOV	CLT	KAN	TEX	PHO	HOM
2018				DAY	ATL	LVS	PHO	CAL	TEX	BRI	RCH	TAL	DOV	CLT	POC	MCH	IOW	CHI	DAY	KEN	NHA	IOW	GLN	MOH	BRI	ROA	DAR 4	IND	LVS	RCH	ROV	DOV	KAN	TEX	PHO	HOM			95th	01
2019				DAY	ATL	LVS	PHO	CAL	TEX	BRI	RCH	TAL	DOV	CLT	POC	MCH	IOW	CHI	DAY	KEN	NHA	IOW	GLN	MOH	BRI	ROA	DAR 38	IND	LVS	RCH	ROV	DOV	KAN	TEX	PHO	HOM			107th	01
2020		54		DAY	LVS	CAL	PHO	DAR	CLT	BRI	ATL	HOM	HOM	TAL	POC	IRC	KEN	KEN	TEX	KAN	ROA	DRC	DOV	DOV	DAY	DAR 5	RCH	RCH	BRI	LVS	TAL	ROV	KAN	TEX	MAR	PHO			79th	01
2021				DAY	DRC	HOM	LVS	PHO	ATL	MAR	TAL	DAR	DOV	COA	CLT	MOH	TEX	NSH	POC	ROA	ATL	NHA	GLN	IRC	MCH	DAY	DAR 12*	RCH	BRI	LVS	TAL	ROV	TEX	KAN	MAR	PHO			89th	01
2023		19		DAY	CAL	LVS	PHO	ATL	COA	RCH	MAR	TAL	DOV	DAR	CLT	POR	SON	NSH	CSC	ATL	NHA	POC	ROA	MCH	IRC	GLN	DAY	DAR 1	KAN	BRI	TEX	ROV	LVS	HOM	MAR	PHO			77th	01
† – Relieved Aric Almirola. Hamlin would go on to win the race, but it does not count towards his total as Almirola started the race and therefore gets credited with the win.

Camping World Truck Series

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series results
Year	Team	No.	Make	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	NCWTC	Pts	Ref
2004	EJP Racing	03	Chevy	DAY	ATL	MAR	MFD	CLT	DOV	TEX	MEM	MLW	KAN	KEN	GTW	MCH	IRP 10	NSH	BRI	RCH 16	NHA 11	LVS 23	CAL	TEX 18	MAR	PHO	DAR	HOM	37th	582
2006	Morgan-Dollar Motorsports	46	Chevy	DAY	CAL	ATL	MAR	GTY	CLT	MFD	DOV	TEX	MCH	MLW	KAN	KEN	MEM	IRP	NSH	BRI	NHA	LVS	TAL	MAR 8	ATL	TEX	PHO	HOM	71st	142
2007	Billy Ballew Motorsports	15	Chevy	DAY	CAL	ATL	MAR	KAN	CLT	MFD	DOV	TEX	MCH	MLW	MEM	KEN	IRP	NSH	BRI	GTW	NHA	LVS	TAL	MAR 19	ATL	TEX	PHO	HOM	88th	106
2008			Toyota	DAY	CAL	ATL	MAR 21	KAN	CLT	MFD	DOV	TEX	MCH	MLW	MEM	KEN	IRP	NSH	BRI	GTW	NHA	LVS	TAL	MAR	ATL 3	TEX	PHO	HOM	54th	270
2009		51		DAY	CAL	ATL	MAR	KAN	CLT	DOV	TEX	MCH	MLW	MEM	KEN	IRP	NSH	BRI	CHI	IOW	GTW	NHA	LVS	MAR 6	TAL	TEX	PHO	HOM	74th	155
2010		15		DAY	ATL	MAR	NSH	KAN	DOV	CLT	TEX	MCH	IOW	GTY	IRP	POC 9	NSH	DAR	BRI	CHI	KEN	NHA	LVS	MAR	TAL	TEX	PHO	HOM	85th	143
2011	Kyle Busch Motorsports	18	Toyota	DAY	PHO	DAR	MAR	NSH	DOV	CLT	KAN	TEX	KEN	IOW	NSH	IRP	POC	MCH	BRI	ATL	CHI	NHA	KEN	LVS	TAL	MAR 1*	TEX	HOM 2	84th	01
2012				DAY	MAR	CAR	KAN	CLT	DOV	TEX	KEN	IOW	CHI	POC 5	MCH	BRI	ATL	IOW	KEN	LVS	TAL								79th	01
		51																				MAR 1	TEX	PHO	HOM
2013				DAY	MAR	CAR	KAN	CLT	DOV	TEX	KEN	IOW	ELD	POC	MCH	BRI	MSP	IOW	CHI	LVS	TAL	MAR 6	TEX	PHO	HOM				93rd	01

^* Season still in progress
¹ Ineligible for series points

ARCA Re/Max Series

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

ARCA Re/Max Series results
Year	Team	No.	Make	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	ARMC	Pts	Ref
2004	Fast Track Racing Enterprises	10	Pontiac	DAY	NSH	SLM	KEN	TOL	CLT	KAN	POC	MCH	SBO	BLN	KEN	GTW	POC	LER	NSH	ISF	TOL	DSF	CHI	SLM	TAL 3		107th	215
2005	Joe Gibbs Racing	2	Pontiac	DAY	NSH 36	SLM	KEN	TOL	LAN	MIL	POC	MCH	KAN	KEN	BLN	POC	GTW	LER	NSH	MCH	ISF	TOL	DSF	CHI	SLM	TAL	169th	50

Superstar Racing Experience

(key) * – Most laps led. ¹ – Heat 1 winner. ² – Heat 2 winner.

Superstar Racing Experience results
Year	No.	1	2	3	4	5	6	SRXC	Pts
2023	11	STA I 11	STA II	MMS	BER	ELD	LOS	9th	01

External links

• Official website
• Official profile at Joe Gibbs Racing
• Denny Hamlin driver statistics at Racing-Reference