Denny Hamlin Appreciation Thread

Spotter22 said:
I was pulling for Denny deep down, 2 reasons, he deserved the title and I knew how much he wanted to do it for his dad. This isn't about car manufacturers or someone winning their first Championship, its about life and losing a father who gave his all to put his son in the position to make his dreams come true. I pray for them all, especially for his mother that's fighting for her life.
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The way he lost the title was a nightmare....with that said, Denny's Dad told him that he was a Champion in his eyes. I think that is enough for Denny. All a son wants to do is to please his father. Denny did that. That is enough of a championship for anybody. Pray for Mary Lou. Pray for the whole family.
 
KTMLew01 said:
Not to hijack but...I live less than mile from fire department in small trailer park (13 trailers). Took FD 10 minutes to respond to neighbor in middle of park and even THEN they had to lay nearly 1/2 mile of 6" hose as that was closest hydrant. No tanker.

But we gonna have a Gold Plated Ball room in DC! Priorities.
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Sounds like a local issue, not a federal one. Perhaps the development permits for the trailer park should have required more hydrants. My experience with rural fire departments is that they usually make having significant water capacity a priority, at least enough to get by until reinforcements can arrive with more water. Until I was in high school, the nearest fire station to our house was nearly 7 miles away. When our original barn burnt down when I was in Jr. high, the response time was close to 20 minutes. Now that our area has been swallowed by urban growth, we have four stations within three miles.
 
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Formerjackman said:
Sounds like a local issue, not a federal one. Perhaps the development permits for the trailer park should have required more hydrants. My experience with rural fire departments is that they usually make having significant water capacity a priority, at least enough to get by until reinforcements can arrive with more water. Until I was in high school, the nearest fire station to our house was nearly 7 miles away. When our original barn burnt down when I was in Jr. high, the response time was close to 20 minutes. Now that our area has been swallowed by urban growth, we have four stations within three miles.
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Park been here for 50+ years & long before the community started growing. Aagin...let's not hijack the convo.
 

I think that we lose sight of the fact that Denny Hamlin is an American success story fueled by his Mom and Dad. He didn't have the silver spoon. The haters would like to think that all of this has been handed to him. It hasn't. It's a great story, but this part of it is so tragic. Anybody who has lost a parent (or both) knows how impactful this all is for Denny. I wonder if we have seen him turn his last lap.
 
Denny on the mind......I haven't posted this because the sting of the Championship is still acute....I will argue that NASCAR is not broken, and what Denny did in 2025 is evidence. If NASCAR is about putting it in the driver's hands, Denny's performance in Phoenix was the prime example. This is not his best track. This is not Toyota's best track. Denny dedicated himself to being the best he could be on the final day of the season. I have read some stuff that he outworked everybody by a lot in the sim. He changed his driving style. He. ******. Changed. His. Driving. Style. ....so that he could win....and he ****** dominated. Dominated. It is just now settling in on me how fast he was because I was braced for the clutch to give out....or the tires blowing out. I never completely thought that he was dominating because I always thought that it was all going to ****....and then it did. So, we have a sport where IF a driver is willing to work on his craft.....and IF that driver is willing to sacrifice, then he has a shot....a shot because nothing is guaranteed in sport (or in life). What in the actual **** else do we want?
 
Revman said:
Denny on the mind......I haven't posted this because the sting of the Championship is still acute....I will argue that NASCAR is not broken, and what Denny did in 2025 is evidence. If NASCAR is about putting it in the driver's hands, Denny's performance in Phoenix was the prime example. This is not his best track. This is not Toyota's best track. Denny dedicated himself to being the best he could be on the final day of the season. I have read some stuff that he outworked everybody by a lot in the sim. He changed his driving style. He. ******. Changed. His. Driving. Style. ....so that he could win....and he ****** dominated. Dominated. It is just now settling in on me how fast he was because I was braced for the clutch to give out....or the tires blowing out. I never completely thought that he was dominating because I always thought that it was all going to ****....and then it did. So, we have a sport where IF a driver is willing to work on his craft.....and IF that driver is willing to sacrifice, then he has a shot....a shot because nothing is guaranteed in sport (or in life). What in the actual **** else do we want?
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The most impressive thing about Hamlin is that he's in his mid 40's. It could be argued that 2025 was one of, if not his best season. His longevity is amazing.
 
jaqua19.1 said:
I hate everything Denny has gone through. He's doing what he needs to do, but man, is he suffering. Hopefully being back in the car is a healthy distraction.

Low key hoping he wins a championship this year.
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Good to see you back brother. The fact that he is even back in the car speaks to his character--much maligned as many of the USs bit on his trolling stuff. Additionally, the grace and perspective with which he has come back to the sport is equally impressive. This will be a very interesting year for him. I have thought all off season what he said which is he will either dominate or tank--nothing in between.
 
Revman said:
Good to see you back brother. The fact that he is even back in the car speaks to his character--much maligned as many of the USs bit on his trolling stuff. Additionally, the grace and perspective with which he has come back to the sport is equally impressive. This will be a very interesting year for him. I have thought all off season what he said which is he will either dominate or tank--nothing in between.
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I was happy Larson won a championship again, but I dont think I ever felt such sadness for an athlete as I did for Denny with the way that race went down. The off season stuff just made it worse.

I honestly just hope he can find some happiness this year. Absolutely rooting for him.
 
jaqua19.1 said:
I was happy Larson won a championship again, but I dont think I ever felt such sadness for an athlete as I did for Denny with the way that race went down. The off season stuff just made it worse.

I honestly just hope he can find some happiness this year. Absolutely rooting for him.
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I was there. Three laps. I have never left a track so quickly.....but after the immediate shock (horror), I stand by my belief that competition and winning/losing must be viewed as distinct entities. We buy tickets to experience the competition, and the winning and losing is icing on the cake, or a kick in the crotch. Loved the competition, still recovering from the kick. Sunday could certainly help. Bottom line is this. Hamlin outworked everybody. Talented enough to literally change his set up and driving style in the sim, and execute it to perfection on the track in an era where gains are hard to come by with the equipment. Quintessential approach, and it damn near worked. While tragic (I guess?), it is a great story. The final chapters are going to be interesting. I see Hamlin either dominating or tanking this year.....he sees it the same......
 
Revman said:
I was there. Three laps. I have never left a track so quickly.....but after the immediate shock (horror), I stand by my belief that competition and winning/losing must be viewed as distinct entities. We buy tickets to experience the competition, and the winning and losing is icing on the cake, or a kick in the crotch. Loved the competition, still recovering from the kick. Sunday could certainly help. Bottom line is this. Hamlin outworked everybody. Talented enough to literally change his set up and driving style in the sim, and execute it to perfection on the track in an era where gains are hard to come by with the equipment. Quintessential approach, and it damn near worked. While tragic (I guess?), it is a great story. The final chapters are going to be interesting. I see Hamlin either dominating or tanking this year.....he sees it the same......
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Denny had always said that he was a hard worker and doesnt think he is a top 100 talent in America.

I personally think that's hyperbole. I've always seen him as a talent below the generational guys like Stewart, Gordon, Johnson, Larson and Zilisch.

Denny, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Brad etc throw a blanket over those guys

Denny became a better/harder working racecar driver over the years but hard work and racecraft isn't what got him there. He obviously undersells his talent.

I'm glad my driver is 2x, but I genuinely was getting excited to call Denny a champion the last 10 laps, and as a fan of the sport who likes Denny but wouldnt call myself a "fan", I felt like I needed to grieve a champion version of Denny for a few days. I tapped out of post race stuff, interviews and it wasn't for another week or so that actually allowed myself to celebrate my driver winning a championship because I felt so gutted for Denny. So I can only imagine what it was like for you.

Nonetheless, if he wins it all this year I'm sure some of his detractors won't like it, but I would be absolutely shocked if somewhere in their hearts they didn't feel a sense of relief and happiness for him. It's just beyond racing at this point. The guy deserves a happy break
 
jaqua19.1 said:
Denny had always said that he was a hard worker and doesnt think he is a top 100 talent in America.

I personally think that's hyperbole. I've always seen him as a talent below the generational guys like Stewart, Gordon, Johnson, Larson and Zilisch.

Denny, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Brad etc throw a blanket over those guys

Denny became a better/harder working racecar driver over the years but hard work and racecraft isn't what got him there. He obviously undersells his talent.

I'm glad my driver is 2x, but I genuinely was getting excited to call Denny a champion the last 10 laps, and as a fan of the sport who likes Denny but wouldnt call myself a "fan", I felt like I needed to grieve a champion version of Denny for a few days. I tapped out of post race stuff, interviews and it wasn't for another week or so that actually allowed myself to celebrate my driver winning a championship because I felt so gutted for Denny. So I can only imagine what it was like for you.

Nonetheless, if he wins it all this year I'm sure some of his detractors won't like it, but I would be absolutely shocked if somewhere in their hearts they didn't feel a sense of relief and happiness for him. It's just beyond racing at this point. The guy deserves a happy break
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I honestly felt worse for Larson fans than I did for myself. I didn't hear anybody thump their chest over the championship, and I honestly felt that this was a shame. I, for one, see Larson's championship as 100% legit. Cliff made the call with Kyle's input at the exact moment that it needed to be made. Gale went with the analytics. I get really frustrated when some point to the format as the reason Denny lost. It wasn't. If anything the green-white-checker thing should be attacked, but for whatever reason it isn't.

I won't get too far into the format thing because there are a lot of rants about all of that, but I will say this.....Is there anybody that doesn't have some sort of an emotional response to what went on in Phoenix? Probably not. Isn't that what sport is for? I think so. IMO--and there are some here who **** themselves over stick and ball references--this year's Super Bowl will not go down as an all time great....and I am sure that there are some of turned it off....I am from the PNW, so it is the greatest win ever, but I suspect most of the rest of the country couldn't give a ****. I don't think Phoenix was that for anybody invested in the sport, and that is how you stimulate and sustain interest. Never mind that we now have Denny's redemption tour.....or not. Again, interest.

Interesting that you have Zillisch in there already. Very interesting, but understandable. I am looking forward to seeing what he can do....and we won't have to wait long with COTA early.

Back to Denny and his prep for Poenix.....I wonder if ole Rowdy could use some sim time instead of whining about the new car.....I believe that he is as least as talented as Denny, and therefore capable of changing his driving style to be more successful.
 
Revman said:
I honestly felt worse for Larson fans than I did for myself. I didn't hear anybody thump their chest over the championship, and I honestly felt that this was a shame. I, for one, see Larson's championship as 100% legit. Cliff made the call with Kyle's input at the exact moment that it needed to be made. Gale went with the analytics. I get really frustrated when some point to the format as the reason Denny lost. It wasn't. If anything the green-white-checker thing should be attacked, but for whatever reason it isn't.

I won't get too far into the format thing because there are a lot of rants about all of that, but I will say this.....Is there anybody that doesn't have some sort of an emotional response to what went on in Phoenix? Probably not. Isn't that what sport is for? I think so. IMO--and there are some here who **** themselves over stick and ball references--this year's Super Bowl will not go down as an all time great....and I am sure that there are some of turned it off....I am from the PNW, so it is the greatest win ever, but I suspect most of the rest of the country couldn't give a ****. I don't think Phoenix was that for anybody invested in the sport, and that is how you stimulate and sustain interest. Never mind that we now have Denny's redemption tour.....or not. Again, interest.

Interesting that you have Zillisch in there already. Very interesting, but understandable. I am looking forward to seeing what he can do....and we won't have to wait long with COTA early.

Back to Denny and his prep for Poenix.....I wonder if ole Rowdy could use some sim time instead of whining about the new car.....I believe that he is as least as talented as Denny, and therefore capable of changing his driving style to be more successful.
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Yeah so when I'm talking Talent I'm not talking about results. Zilich I think is probably the best Prospect we've seen in a while. He came from an entirely different discipline, and absolutely killed it in the Xfinity series last year. The drivers I mentioned here are in my opinion, the true generational talents of the last 30 years. Though some may disagree about Jimmie Johnson (t
I mean, who cares that he was identified by Chevy as a 15 year old can't miss prospect, who cares about his 6 championships and 30+ race wins before age 20 across various off road/stadium truck series. And who cares that he was a championship contender at the cup level as a rookie in 2002 despite having only 3 years of oval pavement experience... he was totally a system driver, and didnt have the car control of Kyle Busch lol)

Connor Zilisch has shown to be exceptional on what isnt a standard NASCAR path, and has performed at a high level immediately.

I don't really think Larson fans are deserving of any sympathy. I also agree he deserved the championship on execution alone. They were short on speed the second half of the year but arguably did the most with the least.

I will say that I am beyond excited about the chase. The chase was always my favorite format. I loved it in 2004, I loved it during Johnson's five feet, and I even loved it when Carl Edwards lost to Tony Stewart in that and got wrenching tiebreaker. I had issues with the old format, and I commend you for taking it as it comes and seeing the legitimacy in any championship format.
 
jaqua19.1 said:
Yeah so when I'm talking Talent I'm not talking about results. Zilich I think is probably the best Prospect we've seen in a while. He came from an entirely different discipline, and absolutely killed it in the Xfinity series last year. The drivers I mentioned here are in my opinion, the true generational talents of the last 30 years. Though some may disagree about Jimmie Johnson (t
I mean, who cares that he was identified by Chevy as a 15 year old can't miss prospect, who cares about his 6 championships and 30+ race wins before age 20 across various off road/stadium truck series. And who cares that he was a championship contender at the cup level as a rookie in 2002 despite having only 3 years of oval pavement experience... he was totally a system driver, and didnt have the car control of Kyle Busch lol)

Connor Zilisch has shown to be exceptional on what isnt a standard NASCAR path, and has performed at a high level immediately.

I don't really think Larson fans are deserving of any sympathy. I also agree he deserved the championship on execution alone. They were short on speed the second half of the year but arguably did the most with the least.

I will say that I am beyond excited about the chase. The chase was always my favorite format. I loved it in 2004, I loved it during Johnson's five feet, and I even loved it when Carl Edwards lost to Tony Stewart in that and got wrenching tiebreaker. I had issues with the old format, and I commend you for taking it as it comes and seeing the legitimacy in any championship format.
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I get it. Thanks. As for the format, I will be happy. I am always happy. Really. I have so much fun with this sport. Excited beyond words to be headed to Vegas for the first time next month. Always wanted to experience that track, and here we go. I am not that fan who wants to make some big statement about my displeasure (which is non-existent) by not attending....more space for me!

I am excited about MY Toyota prospects this year. I want to see Legacy take another step. I love Jimmie, and he is 100% congruent with the Toyota culture. This is a perfect fit, and I expect that at some point, we will be talking about Legacy in the same breath as JGR. Unless 23XI goes there own way, an affiliate will always be an affiliate in my mind. I feel like Legacy will have a solid year, and Jones makes the Chase. When they add the third car, I think that there might be another driver move in there, and then we will truly see the potential. Jimmie is building something, and he doesn't seem to be rushed by sponsors. Fun stuff.
 
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