Chase Briscoe joining Joe Gibbs Racing is making headlines right now, but the story of how Denny Hamlin ended up in the team is head-turning, too! In fact, Hamlin might have some magical powers because he kind of manifested his dream job.

Denny Hamlin has been a fan of Joe Gibbs since before his racing days, courtesy of Gibbs’ Superbowl mastery. Hamlin first met his current team owner when he was just 11 or 12 years old, and the encounter left a lasting impression on him. The experience is etched in his memory so vividly that he still recalls every detail. Recently, Hamlin shared the moment he had with Gibbs, which sparked a passion in him that has endured to this day.

The first thing Denny Hamlin told Joe Gibbs when he was just 11!

The year was 1992, a young Denny Hamlin was excited to meet Joe Gibbs. Gibbs had just won the Superbowl for the third time with the Washington Redskins and had come down to the Richmond area to sign autographs. During this unforgettable encounter, Hamlin boldly shared his dream of driving for Gibbs one day. Fast-forward to the present and Hamlin’s childhood dream has remarkably turned into a reality.

Recollecting that incident, Hamlin said “I met Joe when I was 12, and I told him I would love to drive for him one day. So he [Joe Gibbs] has a picture of me when I met him at that appearance. Like I had my Dare shirt on, 1992 Superbowl hat, so I had him sign that.”

He stood in line for two hours to get the autograph. While standing in line wasn’t easy, his meeting with Joe Gibbs gave him something priceless—hope! He told Gibbs, “Mr. Gibbs, I just started racing go-karts and I’d really like to drive for you one day and I’d love to win a championship for you.” And Joe Gibbs said, “OK, son.”

Well, guess what? A bit of encouragement can work wonders. That simple nod of yes from Joe Gibbs helped spark Hamlin’s journey! He worked his way into NASCAR and joined the team he always wanted at Joe Gibbs Racing. The 43-year-old now has 54 wins in the NASCAR Cup Series and is tied with Lee Petty for 12th on the all-time Cup Series win list. While his achievements have yet to yield a championship title, he said previously he doesn’t mind. However, this year he is on fire and who knows he could bring the cup title home this time around. 

And almost in a full-circle moment, he is now the team owner of 23XI and has young children come up to him and tell him that they’d love to join his team. And he clicks pictures with them because it gives the young children hope. The same hope that Joe Gibbs gave when he nodded at Denny Hamlin. That hope has helped him not just on the track, but in so many other ventures, personal or professional.

Denny Hamlin achieves new career milestone by opening “Airspeed”

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Hamlin seems someone who always sees the bigger picture. He did when he was young at just 11 and he did when he decided to become a team owner. And he took his milestone to the next level by opening “Airspeed.” Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan finally opened “Airspeed,” the race shop for the 23XI team. 

But Hamlin doesn’t subscribe to the idea of it being just a race shop. He said during a recent tour of the place, “This is not a race shop. It’s a place where we work. Yes, we put cars on the track, but it’s so much more than that. Would you say, sitting right here, that we’re in a race shop? No, it certainly doesn’t feel that way. What we were in, in Mooresville, the old Germain (Racing) building, that place was a race shop. In a garage. This is not. This is something that is different.”

To make 23XI feel like a home away from home for employees, rather than just a race shop, Hamlin had a clear vision. He worked tirelessly to bring it to life, step by step. He even spent three years refining his ideas on a sketchpad. Given that Michael Jordan is the team’s co-owner, Hamlin aimed to include elements that would reflect Jordan’s legacy. He thus drew inspiration from the NBA’s arenas when designing the main floor, envisioning a space that would have the same level of energy.

LED ribbon lights, vibrant colors of red, white, and black stripes on the ceiling, and even plants! Hamlin took inspiration from the place he visited at Scarsdale, where he saw beautiful plants hanging from the ceiling. He felt that plants were a lovely addition to the entire place, filled with screens, pool tables, and couch seatings. As for the break room, he set it up himself and went to buy the plates, cups, and silverware himself—such is the dedication. Every section of Airspeed has a touch of Hamlin and, of course, Michael Jordan in it. And they managed to build the place within eight months with 200 workers busy in the space every day. 

But why so much effort to build a race shop?

Well, Hamlin says that he wants to make the space better for the employees. He said, “But there are some things, we ask a lot of our employees: The work hours are really, really tough. If I can just do anything to make their life a little better, then I’m going to do that. If that’s throwing events here, thank-you luncheons, or it’s going over to Frankie’s (amusement park) and having a kid’s day for all of our employees”.

Well, it’s these thoughtful gestures that truly make a difference and foster a workplace where people love coming to work. What do you think about Hamlin and his journey so far? Let us know!