Denny Hamlin Reveals Heartwarming Reason Behind Keeping the Winning Checkered Flag as He Flaunts Prized Race Mementos

We all know Denny Hamlin for his unapologetic nature and outspoken personality. But recently, the driver of the #11 car revealed a soft corner as he went on to talk about a heartfelt admission. The Joe Gibbs Racing star has won several races in his illustrious career and, after each victory, he collects the checkered flag of the race. The reason behind it is as pure and heartwarming as it gets, something that fans usually don’t expect from someone like Hamlin.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is yet to achieve the ultimate goal, winning the Cup Series. However, that does not mean that he’s had any less of a career. Hamlin is considered to be one of the greatest drivers to have not won the championship. That is one list the 43-year-old absolutely would not want to be a part of before hanging up his boots.

Denny Hamlin reveals how his father inspires him to collect checkered flags

Hamlin values every single race he has won, even though the stadium full of fans gives him a mixed reaction. After the JGR star is done with all of that, he usually collects the checkered flag. Several drivers do this and they all have their reasons. Now Denny Hamlin has explained why he does it and it has something to do with his father.

“After each win, you’ll see us go out to the front stretch, we grab the checkered flag. I grab them because usually the next day I’ve got my dad asking, “Where’s my checkered flag at?”,” the driver of the #11 said in a video made for FedEx’s promotional purposes.

With 51 race victories so far in his career, the Joe Gibbs Racing star has collected several checkered flags and he certainly will be hoping to collect a lot more in the 2024 Cup Series season. One can only imagine the celebrations when Hamlin finally wins his first NASCAR Cup Series championship.

The checkered flags were not the only thing present in the room that was related to Denny Hamlin and his racing career. In fact, it was full of items from different events throughout the Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s illustrious career, including the confetti from where he won races, a very special helmet, and his most prized trophy.

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What is the Joe Gibbs Racing star’s most prized racing memorabilia?

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It may not be the same as winning the Cup Series, but winning the Daytona 500 is one of the most prestigious honors a driver can ever earn. Denny Hamlin has done it thrice. According to him, the most special of those 3 wins was when he won The Great American Race for the first time in 2016.

“The most prestigious win of my career, it also ties back into my dream when I was in second grade, 8 years old saying I wanted to be…win the Daytona 500 but this one in 2016 meant the most. This is my most prized trophy by far,” the driver of the #11 car revealed.

He also shared a special helmet which was designed by Michael Hall, the same person who used to design Hamlin’s helmets when he used to race go-karts in his younger days. “He came up with this helmet and its got all the different cars that I’ve raced…this is me practicing my autograph back in the day, making sure I fine-tune it…it became famous, I wanted it to be legible,” Hamlin added.

Out of all these items, which one do you think is the best piece of racing memorabilia that Denny Hamlin has accumulated? 

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