Did You Notice? … Denny Hamlin’s transformation from racing bad boy into one of its most popular, recognizable NASCAR leaders is now complete?
Long gone is the Hamlin who was booed by a raucous crowd at Bristol Motor Speedway just two years ago. Winning the night race there in September 2023, his response to the noise just upped their anger: “I beat your favorite driver. All of them.”
At the time, with Kyle Busch starting to fade from championship contention, it felt like Hamlin was being handed his torch of NASCAR villain, that aggressive driver with a bulldozer of a car — and mouth — everyone loves to hate.
Now? In the wake of unimaginable tragedy, that charisma may be what NASCAR needs to drag the sport back from the abyss after Busch’s death.
On Sunday night (May 31), Hamlin sure put the focus back on racing with a thrilling, three-abreast fight to the front at Nashville Superspeedway. Sneaking ahead of Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe, Hamlin took his second win of the season while solidifying second in the standings.
And as he exited the car this time? Boos were nowhere to be found in the grandstand.
Only cheers.
“Thank you to this sellout crowd,” Hamlin said after exiting the car — a very different vibe for him than even a year ago. “Appreciate you all sticking around. It’s been an honor.”
Seconds later, there was a signature bow in honor of Busch. It’s like the high schooler who specialized in Saturday detention taking a standing ovation after graduating as class president.
A humble Hamlin isn’t the only reason fans have rallied around him at age 45. So much has happened to him in such a short period of time, there’s a little bit of his personality for every type of fan to rally around.
The Phoenix Raceway debacle. Hamlin had that long-elusive championship in his hands last fall before William Byron‘s flat tire forced NASCAR Overtime. Moments later, it was Kyle Larson using pit strategy to steal it from under Hamlin’s nose.
It’s hard to envision a more painful loss, the type of moment that lets your guard down to see even the people you hate are human, too. At 45, the clock is clearly ticking for Hamlin and with his contract expiring after 2027, there’s only two definitive chances left to achieve his dream.
Americans love a happy ending at the end of an athlete’s career: John Elway with the Broncos, Michael Jordan with the Bulls. For someone to finish their final chapter on top? It’s a rarity people find easy to root for.
Hamlin stood up against NASCAR… and won. You’d have to be living under a rock to not know the basics of the trial between NASCAR and 23XI Racing, the team Hamlin co-owns with Jordan.
So, let’s keep it simple. NASCAR signed a new charter deal with Cup Series teams. 23XI Racing felt those owners got screwed by a contract they felt was forced upon them last minute. So, they fought back … and they won. The score was about 63-7 in the fourth quarter before both sides settled out of court, 23XI getting most if not all the things they asked for.
No one since the days of Dale Earnhardt had stood up to NASCAR successfully like that. Hamlin and 23XI emerged a powerhouse, a knight in shining armor drawing their sword on equal footing as the sport continues a leadership transition. (It shows in the standings, too, with 23XI’s lead driver Tyler Reddick an overwhelming title favorite.)
Fans rallied around that show of strength, individuality in a world where drivers often thank sponsors and talk political correctness any time the camera comes on. Hamlin emerged unafraid, the veteran most likely to speak when others stay silent.
Hamlin has been through unspeakable tragedy. As if losing the title was not bad enough, late December brought a devastating fire to Hamlin’s parents’ house, burning it down while taking the life of his father, Dennis. Hamlin’s mom, Mary Lou, was seriously injured, although she has since recovered.
Hamlin briefly considered retirement before re-committing to NASCAR and JGR for 2026. But for anyone who has lost a parent, and I have, it changes you. Hamlin came into the season more measured and mature; he had to relearn why he wanted to keep racing.
In doing so, a man who had spent a career being overly aggressive suddenly felt … human. The highest of highs and the lowest of lows, all in a matter of weeks, emotional vulnerability fans could connect with.
Hamlin has earned that veteran respect. We’ve seen it in this sport so many times. Darrell Waltrip, reviled for most of the 1980s before he was spun by Rusty Wallace in the All-Star Race in 1989.
Earnhardt, who won all those championships but was never more popular six years after his last one. Jeff Gordon, at one time reviled for dominating the sport, producing a legendary moment with his final Cup win at Martinsville Speedway in 2015.
What’s unique about Hamlin is he hasn’t slowed down to speed up his recent popularity. But fans have come around just the same. They’ve caught on, like those other examples, to how much Hamlin has done for the sport, as a future Hall of Famer who deserves respect regardless of whether he’s a favorite driver.
Suddenly, Hamlin checks all the boxes as he reaches the final stages of his career. It’s the perfect storm at a time NASCAR needs an on-track leader. Reestablishing the sport’s popularity means regrowing a brand where drivers are allowed to be themselves, not the version a Fortune 500 boardroom expects them to be.
That driver needs to not only speak their mind; they need to win. A lot. Take the wins beating and banging to the line, then the championship, and be the type of person that rallies all types of people to their side.
Hamlin has evolved into that go-to guy. How he makes the most of it in what could be the final year-and-a-half of his career will go a long way in determining NASCAR’s future direction.
Follow Tom Bowles on X at @NASCARBowles
The author of Did You Notice? (Wednesdays) Tom spends his time overseeing Frontstretch’s 50+ staff members as its majority owner and Editor-in-Chief. Based outside Philadelphia, Bowles is a two-time Emmy winner in NASCAR television and has worked in racing production with FOX, TNT, and ESPN while appearing on-air for SIRIUS XM Radio and FOX Sports 1's former show, the Crowd Goes Wild. He most recently consulted with SRX Racing, helping manage cutting-edge technology and graphics that appeared on their CBS broadcasts during 2021 and 2022.
You can find Tom’s writing here, at CBSSports.com and Athlonsports.com, where he’s been an editorial consultant for the annual racing magazine for 15 years.
I’m sure his success last two years has absolutely nothing to do with driving a JGR Toyota. You did mention they were 1 2 3, again. No way any car should be so much better these days that they can go last to first and not just last Sunday but many times last 2 years. Pretty obvious to everyone about the cars.
It’s remarkable the success of Toyota after the law suit ended.
I remember when everyone was saying that about Hendrick’s cars! I’m sure there are some here that remember that being said about Petty, too!