From fan confrontations on track to them giving the driver the finger, and peppering him with boobirds, Denny Hamlin has become one of the most hated drivers in NASCAR. And with him embracing the bad guy persona, Hamlin’s tale as the sport’s villain has come full circle. But what is the real behind fans despising the driver so much? Is it because of his Bristol rant or for his unapologetic self? Or is he simply misunderstood?

“Massive hypocrite”, called out one Redditor who bashed Denny Hamlin left and right for his preachy attitude and double standards. The controversial Joe Gibbs Racing driver over the years has become one of the most hated racers in NASCAR getting multiple taglines including the infamous “choker”. But do the fans only hate him because he beats their favorite drivers? Well, the short answer is no! There are multiple reasons why fans detest the 43-year-old driver. Let us look at some.

Is Denny Hamlin the most misunderstood driver in NASCAR?

Before the 2023 season, fans sort of had a love-or-hate relationship with Denny Hamlin. To substantiate this, initially during his early days, Hamlin was an upcoming racer and fans quite really liked the underdog story. He was one of the drivers who had to climb the ranks without any privilege, solely relying on skill alone, clawing and crawling his way to the top of a division filled with elite drivers like Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Chase Elliott and Kyle Busch.

But over the years, Hamlin’s on-track stints with Dale Jr(2015), and Chase Elliott(2017) have sort of made him a controversial figure, adding ammunition to his haters. The JGR driver, unlike any other in the roster, has developed a reputation. Though some fans admire his outspoken ways, revealing the true state of the sport, his unapologetic self and attitudehave sometimes irked fans.

Calling the calm and content, Alex Bowman a “hack” upped the ante, completely turning the HMS fanbase against him. With all these incidents still living in the minds of fans, his 52 wins or his multiple race wins at Daytona, Charlotte, and Pocono do not even cross their minds.

To add fuel to the fire, his 2023 season was the perfect storm needed to complete his metamorphosis into a villain. This season was, in fact, full of Hamlin’s shenanigans. His heel turn against his friend Kyle Larson, bumping him for the win at Kansas set the tone for a complete transition. The playoff race at Bristol only solidified his role. After winning the race, Hamlin rubbed salt into the crowds’ wounds, saying, “I beat your favorite driver… all of them.” 

WATCH THIS STORY: Kyle Petty’s take on Denny Hamlin’s infamous tagline 

For Hamlin, winning was important and not the means that he resorted to, something that has been the case for him throughout his long and illustrious career so far.

Hamlin ditches his infamous catchphrase following his triumph at L.A

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For Hamlin, riling up and poking fans is one of his favorite activities. The fandom has always had a mixed reaction to the driver of #11, which usually leans toward the negative end of the spectrum. Hamlin, however, does not care and never shies away from retaliating, and one of his best lines, which he uses after winning a race, is “I beat your favorite driver”. The veteran, however, following his season-opening win at the Coliseum revealed that he would not be saying that any longer.

The JGR speedster was victorious in the Clash at the Coliseum and during a post-race interview, he taunted the crowd once again, repeating the iconic one-liner. However, that might be one of the very last instances of fans hearing it, as Hamlin has confirmed it to be his last time using it, bowing to his father’s command.

The driver speaking on his Action Detrimental podcast, said, “Breaking news: I’m gonna retire the ‘I beat all your favorite drivers’ because I got a text and those of you saw the Netflix special with my dad, he sent me a text. He says, ‘Son, you got to stop that. I don’t like it, it’s just too cocky’. I’m gonna listen to dad on this one, so we’re gonna retire, that’s the last time. I think jokes are always funnier the first time you say it, not the second, or third, or whatever anyway. We’ll come up with something new next time around, but ‘I beat your favorite driver, all of them’ is officially going to go down in the history books, it’s done.”

READ MORE: Can Martin Truex Jr Deliver Frenemy Denny Hamlin a Big Upset at Unpredictable Daytona Against All Odds?

But does this signify a change of heart? Is Hamlin going back on this way and becoming more mellow or is this the beginning of a heel turn?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.