For all the misery he’s faced this year, you’d expect Denny Hamlin to have a moment all for himself in the off-season. But when you’re one of the few owner-drivers plying your trade at NASCAR’s highest level, the weight of responsibilities outweighs the need for recreation. Capping off his year with a commendable run in the 2024 playoffs, Hamlin leaves all the racing on the sidelines burdened by more problems than one would wish for in their off time.

To begin with, the #11 driver needs to replace long-time anchor sponsor FedEx on his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota before the Daytona 500 rolls around next February. But that might not be his most pressing issue. He’s also entangled in a full-fledged court battle, courtesy of 23XI Racing’s lawsuit against NASCAR. But despite all the chaos, Hamlin may have found a silver lining. And a cryptic tweet from his official social account hinted at just that, where he referenced an iconic moment from Leonardo DiCaprio’s portrayal of former multi-millionaire Jordan Belfort in the movie Wolf of Wall Street.

Denny Hamlin drops a ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ GIF… but why?

Denny Hamlin is an incredibly social person on the internet. He’s one of the many NASCAR drivers who maximize the full potential of social media to bridge the gap between the sport and its loudest admirers. A true visionary, the Chesterfield, Virginia native has been a trailblazer for the stock car racing community in more ways than one. He’s never been afraid to hold the people in power accountable over grievances and it is easy to influence the masses when the brand you’ve built garners millions of views every month,

For now, though, Hamlin has more than a few things on his mind, and they’re evident in his Twitter posts, as he’s going through multiple emotions. On November 16th, he uploaded a GIF of that infamous scene from Wolf of Wall Street, where Leonardo Di Caprio’s character affirms his work colleagues that “he’s not leaving.” Hamlin left no further explanation with his viral upload. This has the collective NASCAR community wondering exactly what’s currently on the #11 driver’s mind.

Not even a week has passed since he announced the FedEx split with a heartwarming tribute video. Hence, some fans believe Hamlin is teasing a new sponsor with the GIF, although there has been no mention of a financial partnership recently. A few others suggest the cryptic post foretells of a legal victory in the courtroom against NASCAR in their impending litigation. Recently Judge Frank D. Whitney ruled that 23XI Racing, alongside Front Row Motorsports, could compete as “open teams” in the 2025 season after the defendants removed an “anticompetitive release requirement in its open agreement.” In layman’s terms, the plaintiffs can retain their right to sue NASCAR, while the legal process unfolds in the future.

Maybe that has Hamlin beaming on social media. It certainly makes sense given the broader context of the original ‘I’m not leaving’ clip. Another separate update by FOX journalist, Bob Pockrass revealed that “The law firm (Latham & Watkins) that represents NASCAR in the 23XI/FRM lawsuit has added its top appellate attorney, Gregory Garre, to the NASCAR defense team. Garre is a former US solicitor general who regularly argues in U.S. Court of Appeals and Supreme Court.” 

Indeed, there have been plenty of developments in Denny Hamlin‘s off-track life recently. But without proper closure, his reason to celebrate remains a mystery. Regardless, the grandstands might have a few ideas, and NASCAR social media was rife with many wild guesses.

FedEx exit? Court drama? Plenty of questions follow the viral tweet

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When Hamlin’s caption-less tweet started making rounds of the NASCAR subreddit, one passionate member of the NASCAR community mused, “Jordan took him to Costco for the first time today.” Others echoed the not-so-serious sentiment, including a playful comment that read, “He just saved 15% by switching his car insurance to Geico.” Another diehard added to this good-natured ribbing, replying, “Actually, I think he saved at the pump.” This appeared to be a nod to Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano’s iconic 2022 Advance Auto Parts commercial, where the duo bantered about ‘savin’ at the pump’ using speed pumps. Beyond the jokes and comments, the big outlier was this: not a single soul was sure why Hamlin had posted the GIF above all else.

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“Maybe he got a huge sponsor to replace FedEx,” argued one fan from the digital grandstands, shedding a more realistic light on the discussions. In October, the Campbell Soup Company announced they would partner with Joe Gibbs Racing starting in 2025. This deal comes, thanks to Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment’s position as a minority shareholder of the three-decade-plus strong NASCAR organization. However, it is still unknown if their partnership could eventually make its way onto Denny Hamlin’s #11 car next year.

Although this particular NASCAR fan had an equally commendable observation to make, based on the most recent happenings in the 23XI Racing vs NASCAR lawsuit: “He got a new lawyer…idk (It’s also Friday at 7:30 p.m. and he tweeting this)” Maybe, Denny Hamlin has more than one reason to express excitements to his fans over social media. But with how busy his life has been lately, it certainly sounds like he needs to catch a break before the new season sneaks up on us next February.