“They Put Me in the Car and the Rest Is History” – Denny Hamlin Reflects on His NASCAR Career Start in Race: Bubba Wallace

In the Race: Bubba Wallace docuseries, Denny Hamlin was one of many people making a recurring appearance. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver spoke on many subjects in the documentary series. Among them, he talked about what drew him towards pursuing a motorsports career. As it turned out, he credited his parents for helping him gain interest when they took him to watch his first NASCAR race.

He said, “My passion for the sport started when I was five years old. This very, very simple thing that happened to me. I just went to a race. My parents always had season tickets at Richmond National Raceway, and the moment the cars flew around the racetrack and I smelled the tires and the fuel and I heard the sound of the roaring engines, I was hooked.”

What did Denny Hamlin do after that race?

According to the #11 driver, his father found a go-kart for $200. Hamlin Sr walked him through the process of piloting the go-kart, before sending him on his way.

Denny Hamlin continued, “He started watching me make laps around the race track. And I’m sliding it all over the place and I just wanted to figure out then, well, how can I compete? How can I go to a racetrack and try to get a trophy? They put me in the car and the rest is history.”

Decades later, he is competing in his 18th season in the Cup Series. However, he has yet to win a title, though he has come close on one occasion in 2010. This year, he will get another shot at the title, but time is pretty much running out for him. So the big question is, will 2022 be Denny Hamlin’s year to win the Cup Series?

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