“I Want to Win It on February 17”- Denny Hamlin Unravels How His Dream From 2nd Grade Came True

As we head into the 2024 season, one man is looking to make the most of every opportunity, unlike any other. After all, 2023 was a year filled with major ups and downs for Denny Hamlin, with most of the season unfolding for the worst. Adding insult to his literal shoulder injury was the $50,000 fine for his run-in with Ross Chastain and failing to advance to championship 4 after a dismal round at Martinsville only ended things on a sour note.

Fast-forward to the beginning of the new season, and Hamlin has already made his intentions well known. Despite not fully recovering from a shoulder surgery he underwent recently, the 43-year-old aims to tackle the Clash at the Coliseum head-on so he can prepare for the Daytona 500. And while a fourth victory at the greatest American race still evades his reach, did you know that Hamlin predicted his third and most recent Daytona win down to the date as a child?

Denny Hamlin’s intuition is not to be underestimated

For FedEx’s Ultimate Fan of Racing Contest, Denny Hamlin shared a heartfelt video on X in which he shared pictures of a few childhood mementos that were crucial to the start of his career, like his first-ever racing suit. The 43-year-old’s mother proudly stumbled upon it while doing a cleanup. But what really stood out was a framed note from the time when Denny Hamlin was in second grade.

Taking fans over the sentiment behind the note, Hamlin stated in the video; “Every kid knows when they have that assignment where it’s, ‘Who you want to be when you get older? What’s your dream?’ This was that assignment for me when I was in 2nd grade and I was 8 years old. This was my dream.” Hamlin went on to read what was written down by him all those years ago; “My wish is to win the Daytona 500. If I win the Daytona 500, I would like for it to come true on February 17th.”

And after over three decades, that wish finally came true on the 17th of February 2020, when Hamlin secured his third victory at the Daytona 500. An overtime photo finish with Ryan Blaney saw Hamlin take his second consecutive win.

Hamlin did show signs of still having that inner child who was eager to prove himself by finally achieving that wish of winning on the 17th of February. He was quoted by USA Today, “I just feel like I’m a student to the game. I never stop learning and trying to figure out where I need to put myself at the right time.” He further added, “It doesn’t always work. We’ve defied odds here in the last eight years or so in the Daytona 500, but just trust my instincts, and so far they’ve been good for me.”

WATCH THIS STORY: Gentleman’s rule in NASCAR – The lost way of drivers self-policing

And while it’s safe to say we got some wholesome insight into Denny Hamlin’s childhood wish and the story behind it coming true, fans of the 43-year-old will be delighted to hear what Dale Earnhardt Jr had to say about getting to know more about Hamlin’s lifestyle as Netflix announces the Full Speed series.

Dale Earnhardt Jr exposes Hamlin’s cooking skills

Trending

Despite 2023 Disaster, Chase Elliott Risks Angering Rick Hendrick by Choosing Alex Bowman’s HMS Banned Tactic

Kurt Busch Finally Breaking Radio Silence After Criminal Charges Forced 3-Month-Long Hiatus Has NASCAR Fans Breathing Easy

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Sister Recalls the Sacrifice Forced on Them by Tony Stewarts’ Stranded Mentee Before Their Big Moment

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Was Caught Off-Guard by Ken Schrader’s Boozy ‘Bargaining’ Tactic

Kyle Larson’s Efforts Reap Results as America’s Oldest Sprint Car Racing Makes Its Return After a Year of Hiatus

We all know just how magical Drive to Survive was for not only Netflix as a platform but also for the popularity boom in America, similar to what Liberty Media and F1 witnessed after it aired. And now, the company finally turns their attention toward America’s own motorsport, treating fans with a five-episode series which will take Netflix viewers on a journey through the 2023 playoffs and Ryan Blaney’s championship win.

While we are yet to see more of the docu-series, Dale Earnhardt Jr revealed that he’s already seen the entire series! Although this isn’t surprising once we consider that the JR Motorsports boss is also a producer on the show, what really surprised fans is his revelation regarding Hamlin’s cooking skills during an episode of the Download.

Earnhardt Jr shed light on how the Netflix crew had captured every candid moment, including the drivers getting out of their bed and what they get up to first thing in the morning. And when he mentioned Denny Hamlin and how the show managed to present a side of the JGR star that Junior was just not aware of, it led to a hilarious revelation.

Junior shared, “We all hear things about people and it makes us want to know what it’s really like, what the relationships they have or really like and so you get to see these people and they can’t hide from the truth in these moments right? They can’t fake it, you can see it and so Denny can’t cook breakfast, cannot, you’ll see.”

READ MORE: NASCAR Update: Country Music Star Delivers Heartbreaking News to NASCAR Fans as Atlanta Motor Speedway Eyes Replacement

Looks like it wasn’t only a wholesome story about Denny Hamlin’s personality that surfaced on X this week! While the 43-year-old certainly proved he can deliver on his childhood dreams, only time will tell if his cooking skills are as dismal as Junior makes it seem.