The Cook Out Southern 500, the regular season finale race, will see Tyler Reddick defending his top spot in the rankings and aiming for his first regular season title. Kyle Larson, the defending winner, also enters Darlington as a contender for the regular season title, 17 points behind Reddick. Denny Hamlin could also have been in the mix had he not gotten the penalty that docked his points earlier this week. He lost 10 playoff points and 75 regular season points.

However, Hamlin has chosen another way to make his race special. He will honor the legacy of Roy Hendrick at Darlington Raceway by sporting the ‘Flying II’ paint scheme on his Joe Gibbs Racing #11 Toyota Camry. This tribute comes after the recent passing of the Short track racing star.

Denny Hamlin pays tribute to Roy Hendrick

He is the son of the legendary NASCAR driver Ray Hendrick and the uncle of Rick Hendrick. Roy often raced his father’s famous car, the ‘Flying 11’. This iconic car was competing on the dirt tracks of Richmond Raceway in the 1960s. Roy Hendrick continued his father’s legacy with his stellar racing career. However, it was a legacy that was hard to match, as Ray Hendrick has won over 700 Modified and Late Model Sportsman races.

Roy Hendrick started out as a young racer in the Limited Sportsman Division at South Boston Speedway in 1969. He quickly made a name for himself, winning his first race there the following year and eventually taking home the track championship at Southside Speedway in Richmond. After a few more years of honing his skills, Hendrick moved up to the NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Division. He had a pretty impressive run, winning 12 races in 1982 and even claiming a national championship race victory at South Boston. Hendrick’s talent continued to shine as he stepped up to the NASCAR Late Model Stock Car Division. By 1983, he was a force to be reckoned with, winning track championships at three different tracks: Southside Speedway, South Boston, and Orange County Speedway.

After his illustrious career, Hendrick recently passed away at the age of 70. He was known to have popularised the flying 11 Car called ‘Christine’. It featured the number 11 in a circle and a fiery wing coming off the back. Hamlin’s Darlington ride has featured the iconic logo as a tribute to the legacy of the Legend and his family. Hamlin took it to Instagram to show his car and wrote, “The Flying 11 returns. This one’s for Roy Hendrick. We miss you.” Here, take a look at the heartfelt tribute by the #11 team:

Hamlin needs to literally fly with those wings if he wants to win. A disappointing qualification has given him the 14th spot on the grid. However, he will be hopeful the car could actually repeat what it did in the past. Since this is not the first time the ‘Flying 11’ has featured on Denny Hamlin’s car. In 2017, the Richmond native decided to pay tribute to his racing hero, Ray Hendrick, at Darlington Speedway. He painted his car to look exactly like the famous ‘Flying 11’ car that Ray used to drive. And guess what? He won the race! And to make it more special, Hamlin celebrated his victory with Roy, who was present on the track. First for the father and now for the son, it is such a whole full circle moment of tributes. Fans applaud Hamlin’s move and they want a Déjà vu moment in the Darlington race.

Fans love Hamlin’s tribute as they hope for a win

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Denny’s other paint schemes for the seasons have been pretty mundane if compared to the Darlington one. This one is beautiful looking and also laced with history, capturing many eyeballs. Hamlin has been pretty consistent this year, but his last win of this season is like ancient history to fans. It came on the Dover Motor Speedway. Hamlin fans want the veteran to end the regular season on a winning note. One fan wrote, “I love that scheme. I would love to see that at victory lane tomorrow.” 

A photo finish for the flying 11 taking the chequered flag would indeed be a great tribute to the late Legend, one fan agreed with this idea as he wrote, “Very nice!!!! What a wonderful tribute for Roy Hendrick and his family!!!!” Another one echoed the same emotion and wrote, “Very cool tribute.” Won’t the tribute be even cooler if Hamlin wins?

A win for the Hamlin faction is a must entering the playoffs, as the #11 team seems to have been shaken up since the penalty. What happened was, in a big blunder, Toyota accidentally destroyed a race-winning engine from Hamlin’s victory at Bristol Motor Speedway before sending it to NASCAR for inspection. Because of this, Hamlin was penalized by NASCAR docking his 10 playoff points and 75 regular season points. Since this, Hamlin has finished 9th and 38th in the last two races. One fan wants Hamlin to put the past behind him and win, he wrote, “Had a rough couple weeks. Time for a win (checkered flag emoji)”

Fighting for a win with this legendary car is crucial for the Hamlin faction. This would set the tone for their 2024 playoff campaign, moreover Hamlin, in his 20-year-long NASCAR Cup Series career, has never won a championship. This could be the year when he finally does. But for that, they need to forget the setback and wipe it clean with a win in Darlington. And what perfect car to do it in than this? One fan on the same note wrote, “Bada-s. Get that W!!!” Do you think Hamlin can win in Darlington? Starting from a P14? Let us know in the comments below.