As Playoffs Intensify, Could Denny Hamlin’s Entrepreneurial Mindset Be Detrimental for His Championship Odds?

Denny Hamlin can be cited as the perfect example of ‘so near and yet so far’. With a long career spanning over two decades and more wins than any other driver, the 42-year-old racetrack regular has yet to acquire the most coveted title of NASCAR Cup Series championships.

With 51 wins under his belt and almost clinching the championship title on multiple occasions, the veteran fell short many a time. Having said that, it can’t be denied that he’s surely a fan favorite this year as the elusive top title contender. Conversations have been amusing regarding his current position and ability to finally clinch the title. But some people have also opined that maybe the seasoned driver has been stretching himself too thin with multiple projects!

Denny Hamlin sees a new investment possibility, but critics are unsure if that’s a good idea

It is not uncommon for NASCAR drivers to invest in some side hustles from time to time. Most of them are often seen as race team owners or stakeholders in different ventures within the NASCAR circuit. Denny Hamlin is also among them, with the co-ownership of racing team 23XI and NBA legend Michael Jordan. But recently, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver also expressed some curiosity about another venture.

Showing his interest in purchasing or operating the Southside Speedway in Virginia, the three-time Daytona 500 winner indicated that he wanted to save his home track, which was shut down in 2020. Denny offered some clarification on his stand regarding the speedway on his podcast, Actions Detrimental with Denny Hamlin.

“Man, I hope something can happen so Southside can come back. To clarify some of those statements, I haven’t talked to the state or the county for quite a while, it’s been six months at least. My place with it was that, you know, they bought it for a certain amount of money, the county did, I don’t even know. I said, I’ll run it but I need ‘x’ amount of dollars to enhance the place. And when I say enhance, I mean we need to tear the place down and build anew. To get that track back to top shape and be a place where you can bring touring series, maybe the CARS Tour or ARCA, something other than just a weekly show, that’s the tough part,” he explained.

However, some NASCAR industry insiders commented that it might not be a good idea as the playoffs continue to intensify. Large Barstool, who hosts the Rubbin is Racing podcast, raised some questions about Denny Hamlin’s decision.

“He’s part owner of 23XI, which is building its new headquarters, and it seems like he’s very hands-on with the construction of the headquarters and now he’s perhaps taking on owning a track itself. Is that stretching yourself too thin? I don’t know anybody in any other sport that has done this,” he said. 

Others have appreciated his entrepreneurial mindset.

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Denny seems to be in a good place in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series playoff points table. Hamlin sits comfortably in second place with 3074 points, just behind William Byron, who’s leading with 3083 

Considering his impressive performance this year and his confidence in himself to clinch the championships, the veteran seems to know what he’s doing. And that’s exactly what some commentators thought. Spider, aka Daniel DiOrio, while replying to Large on the podcast, expressed confidence in Denny’s new potential investment.

He said, “I think he’s definitely got an entrepreneurial mindset. I mean we’ve had him on the podcast before, saying he doesn’t need money. He’s made some great investments in the past so I’ll take his word for it. To me, this is really the epitome of what it means to be a successful athlete.” 

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He also appreciated Denny’s initiative, “He’s smart and can do things like these. I also love it, it’s like giving back to your community, saving something that you came from, everyone loves, and everyone’s familiar with. If you go on to do great things, I feel like, often times you get a statue or some sort of monument in your town. This is a great way to get that on the road so I love this from Denny,” Spider opined.

With differing opinions, it’s yet to be seen if the investment will turn out to be detrimental to the Championship contender or not. What do you think?N