With the NASCAR awards ceremony concluding at the Convention Center in Charlotte this Friday, it’s curtains for the exhilarating 2024 season. This year, the celebrations took place close to home for most drivers who live in the heart of NASCAR country. From crowning the National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver award to having Shaquille O’Neal, aka DJ Diesel, enthrall the sport’s biggest stars with his turntable mastery, this is one event you want to miss. Stay tuned for when the coverage drops for the official banquet on Sunday, November 24th, at 3:00 PM ET on The CW.

As for the Red Carpet Show, it took over NASCAR’s social media and YouTube channels live on Friday, Nov. 22 at 5 p.m. ET. Catch your favorite driver’s season-ending red carpet moment, full of glory, on NASCAR’s official channels. But the driver ‘who beat all our favorite drivers’ had a melancholic tribute to share with the entire stock car racing fandom.

Denny Hamlin pays tribute to FedEx on his ‘last working day’ at Charlotte

Denny Hamlin has a lot to look forward to next season. For starters, Joe Gibbs Racing’s #11 driver will have a new crew chief. Chris Gayle, who oversaw Ty Gibbs’ rise to the NASCAR Cup Series, will guide Denny Hamlin’s brigade starting at the Daytona 500 next February. This change comes after Hamlin’s long-time crew chief, Chris Gabehart, moved up to the competition director role at Joe Gibbs Racing, which will indirectly aim to benefit all four cars at the organization.

But beyond that, Denny Hamlin has an impending lawsuit against NASCAR to worry about, courtesy of his race team’s bid to change the sport of stock car racing forever. At the time of writing, 23XI Racing, alongside Front Row Motorsports, is already some ways into the legal settlement process with NASCAR, although their court battles could stretch out for longer than one would imagine. However, there’s something else standing in Hamlin’s way on his path to redemption in 2025. And by the looks of things, these thoughts bear heavy.

Before the championship race at Phoenix, he posted a heartwarming video tribute to his long-time backer FedEx, who recently ended their partnership with the #11 crew after 19 long years. This Friday at the NASCAR Award Ceremony Red Carpet show, the $73 billion-worth e-commerce company received another shout-out from Denny Hamlin. As Hamlin gracefully walked down the luxury lane with his fiance, Jordan Fish, host Jessie Punch couldn’t help but spotlight Hamlin’s dapper velvet tuxedo featuring matching buttons for his shirt. When Punch complemented the 44-year-old and asked about his outfit of choice, Hamlin calmly replied, “I appreciate it. Uh yeah, FedEx, in its final year, 19 years. So, it’s just a thank you to them.”

The host then focused all her attention on Hamlin’s fiancee, who dazzled in her dress for the night—a self-named gown she got off Revolve. Punch said it best, “It’s clearly made for you, honestly.” Afterward, she asked the duo if they were excited about the award ceremony in Charlotte. And to her initial query, Denny Hamlin swiftly replied, “A) I enjoy being in Charlotte. B) I don’t know. We didn’t win. So I think there’s 15 disgruntled drivers. And one probably really happy one. So yeah, to me, it’s kind of good to bookend the season. You know, this is kind of the last workday of the year for us.”

He then let out an insight into his mindset for the off-season. “Now, it’s time to kind of shift our focus to the holidays,” began Hamlin. “And then after that, we get to December, we’ll start working on, ‘What can I do as a driver to improve my craft?’ What can we work with with the team to get better?’ That’s what we need to win.” 

Regardless, here’s to hoping the #11 crew can plan a better championship run in 2025 than they did this year, and Denny Hamlin can get back into victory lane without distractions. But on the topic of all the end-of-season winners who took home the top honors at Charlotte on Friday, here are some spoilers.

Chase Elliott earns Most Popular Driver for seventh straight year

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Among the star-studded crowd at the Convention Center, 2024 Cup Series champion Joey Logano was front and center as NASCAR recognized the best of the best this season. And for the seventh year in a row, Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott walked away with the National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver Award. But the celebration wouldn’t stop there. Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier secured his fifth Most Popular Driver honor in the series, while 22-year-old Rajah Caruth claimed the same, representing the Craftsman Truck Series.

The night also shined bright for the sport’s rising stars, with Carson Hocevar (Cup Series), Jesse Love (Xfinity Series), and Layne Riggs (Truck Series) earning the Sunoco Rookie of the Year awards in their respective tiers of NASCAR completion. On another note, this year’s Bill France Award of Excellence went to longtime Toyota exec David Wilson, who’s set to retire after leading Toyota Racing Development to countless victories for the last 11 years. Meanwhile, Judy Simmons of Axton, Virginia, received the 14th annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award for her incredible volunteer work with God’s Pit Crew, a non-profit organization contributing to communities affected by natural disasters.

The excitement kicked off Thursday night after Legacy Motor Club’s Erik Jones won the Comcast Community Champion Award. Comcast generously awarded $60,000 to the Erik Jones Foundation, which promotes “early cancer screening and detection, reading literacy, and animal welfare.” Last but not least, by any means, Greg Biffle’s heroic efforts in aiding Hurricane Helene victims in his chopper earned him the prestigious 2024 Myers Brothers Award. And with that, the anticipation is building yet again for another season of NASCAR’s high-speed festivities. But the question remains: will Denny Hamlin overcome all the challenges he’s been faced with in recent memory? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.