Denny Hamlin was one lucky man leaving Bristol. Though he was outside the bubble before the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, the #11 driver is now seeded sixth for the Round of 12. And with that, his anxiety is finally over.

To have to sit between teammates and former Cup champs on the negative side of the cutline must have been no joke these last couple of weeks. The pressure even had Hamlin hold Lulu, his family dog, accountable for his run of below-average results. So much so that he jokingly put the poor thing up for adoption for the rest of his championship run. Now, can a dog be unlucky? Most would argue otherwise. But if Lulu is, did Hamlin perhaps let Martin Truex Jr or Ty Gibbs babysit her for Bristol?

Lulu’s ‘bad luck’ is finally over after Bristol Night Race results

In the summer, after finishing second at Gateway behind Austin Cindric, Hamlin informed the world on Actions Detrimental alongside his daughter Taylor, of Lulu’s homecoming. However, in his announcement, he didn’t seem all that receptive. “This is short-term happiness and a long-term pain in the a–,” he said, complaining about how his daughters would not “take care of this dog.” Pictures of Lulu online suggest she’s growing up a healthy pup, so it’s clear everyone tending to her care is doing a terrific job. But what followed next wasn’t all that normal.

The #11 car DNF-ed for the second time in 2024 at Sonoma the next weekend. But surprisingly, after three wins and four consecutive top-5 finishes in the weeks prior, Hamlin went on a barren run that saw him finish inside the top-5 only twice, until the Bristol Night Race. In those seventeen-or-so-weeks, the #11 team ended their race early two more times and received a 75-point penalty from NASCAR. All thanks to a logistical error with the race-winning engine by Toyota in the fallout of the Food City 500. It even got Hamlin’s Bristol win rescinded from playoff eligibility, although it still stands for the record.

But after making it to the next round of the Playoffs with top-10 finishes in both stages and a P4 under the lights on Saturday, Hamlin believes his “unlucky” streak is finally over. Days after putting Lulu up ‘for adoption’ on Twitter for the ‘bad omen,’ the 43-year-old has taken back his offer. He retweeted the earlier post with a simple caption that reads, “She can stay for now.”

Indeed, she can. Before the race, Lulu became an internet sensation overnight because of her ‘unfortunate’ association with her keeper’s championship slump. Hamlin’s fiancee, Jordan Fish, updated on Instagram that even PetSmart, one of the biggest retail chains in America, for pet care products, noticed all the noise and sent Lulu a care package with a personalized note. It said “Dear Lulu, We’re sorry to hear your dog dad thinks you’re bad luck. These green goodies will keep your tail wagging all the way to Championship weekend. We’re #A11IN on turning your dad’s luck around.”

That is quite a heartfelt message. And it’s hard to disagree since many diehards are hopeful of Denny Hamlin lifting the championship trophy at least once before he pulls the curtains on his Hall of Fame-worthy NASCAR career. With a decent run at Bristol, the #11 driver comes one step closer to that goal, leaving teammates Martin Truex Jr, and Ty Gibbs below the cutline. One’s already won the championship and is retiring next year, and the other has plenty of time to win one for himself. Hence, it probably serves everyone best if Hamlin moves on to the Round of 12.

But keeping in mind Chris Gabehart’s earlier expressed desire to remove “the dog off the premises for one week” begs the question: Where exactly was Lulu in Bristol?

Denny Hamlin’s top-10 saves season, fans chime in for ‘good luck’

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Was she with Martin Truex Jr, who went from running P2 to succumbing to a speeding penalty in Stage 3? Or was she with Ty Gibbs, who was above the cutline before Bristol, but also fell to a speeding penalty with 116 laps to go? Maybe neither? However, the fact stands that the Joe Gibbs duo of Truex and Gibbs turned out ‘most unlucky’ under the lights in Thunder Valley, accompanied by Brad Keselowski and Harrison Burton. All 4 of them are now out of the championship chase.

But on the flip side, Lulu’s future in the Hamlin household is now safe again. And that has left some positive feelings inside the collective NASCAR community. Fans contradicted the #11 driver’s claims of his family dog being bad luck replying with things like, “She’s your good luck charm.” and “Sorry bud, she adopted you!”

One diehard hilariously asked, “Did you give her to @TylerReddick? that’s messed up.” Interestingly, even the #45 had a rough day and finished 20th. Kyle Larson’s win means the gap in championship points between himself and the #5 driver has now decreased to only 12 points.

Others mused, “You know, I really think the bad luck started when @jareddallen bought/moved into his house.” But in reality, “You delivered when it mattered,” Denny Hamlin. And the grandstands appear happy to witness the ‘old dog’ make a run for the championship yet again.