Denny Hamlin is familiar with having a love-to-hate relationship among the NASCAR faithful. Fans have had plenty of instances to pick on the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver. But he is not one who minds playing the villain. And yet, Hamlin has received the occasional love.
The 42-year-old has had a tendency to have contentious moments at the Martinsville Speedway. Chase Elliott’s fans still wouldn’t forgive Hamlin for spinning the former’s car in a 2017 playoff race. However, it is an incident two years later on the same track that has fans chuckling off late.
When Denny Hamlin did his best Joey Logano impression
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The 2019 race at Martinsville Speedway saw a feisty battle unfold on track between Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin. The Team Penske driver was driven close to the wall by Hamlin. Logano then let his rival know about his anger after the race ended.
Denny Hamlin, talking about the confrontation, said at that time, “Everything was civil. And then like Joey does, he does a little, you know, push and then runs away.” But the best bit came when Hamlin expressed how Joey Logano would have reacted to the same incident. He mockingly uttered, “He would probably say, ‘Ah… it’s short track racing’.” It was a mimicry act that gave social media users a field day.
NBC’s NASCAR account on Instagram went back to four years ago to give fans a throwback. This also allowed people to show appreciation for Hamlin’s sense of humor.
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NASCAR fans enjoy Hamlin’s 2019 imitation of Joey Logano
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Instagrammers reacted to the clip with much enjoyment. One fan’s comment highlighted how the NASCAR community appreciates proper pit lane banter despite their driver allegiances. The user wrote, “Still a gold mine regardless if you like Hamlin or not”.
Even the Joey Logano admirers could not help but get in on the act. One particular fan commented, “look i’m a huge joey fan and this sh*t is fu**ing hilarious”.
People also noted Denny Hamlin’s knack for providing memorable moments on camera. One fan even compared him to a certified legend of the sport. The user expressed under the post, “By no means a fan of denny but damnit if he isn’t one of the funniest interviewees in the sport’s history, up there with Tony Stewart”. Another user probably went too far in appreciation when writing, “Hamlin should go in the HOF just for his off-track interviews”.
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Watch this Story: Denny Hamlin: From Underdog to Champion?
This does not mean there was no one who disliked the Florida native’s antics on air. One user was particularly not impressed and wrote, “Denny gonna Denny. Complains about other drivers over things that are his fault”. It seems like there is still some way to go before Denny Hamlin amuses everyone in the NASCAR community. What did you make of the whole clip? Perhaps, it was enough to make you a Denny Hamlin fan!