Denny Hamlin
James Dennis Alan Hamlin (born November 18, 1980) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing. He also co-owns and operates 23XI Racing, another NASCAR Cup Series team, with basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan.
| Denny Hamlin | |||||||
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Hamlin at Richmond Raceway in 2023 | |||||||
| Born | James Dennis Alan Hamlin November 18, 1980 Tampa, Florida, U.S. | ||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||
| Weight | 154 lb (70 kg) | ||||||
| Achievements | 2016, 2019, 2020 Daytona 500 Winner 2015 Sprint All-Star Race Winner 2010, 2017, 2021 Cook Out Southern 500 Winner 2022 Coca-Cola 600 Winner 2008, 2014, 2017 Can-Am Duels Winner 2006, 2014, 2016, 2024 Busch Light Clash Winner First rookie to qualify for Chase for the Nextel Cup (2006) | ||||||
| Awards | 2006 Nextel Cup Series Rookie of the Year Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023) | ||||||
| NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
| 657 races run over 20 years | |||||||
| Car no., team | No. 11 (Joe Gibbs Racing) | ||||||
| 2023 position | 5th | ||||||
| Best finish | 2nd (2010) | ||||||
| First race | 2005 Banquet 400 (Kansas) | ||||||
| Last race | 2024 Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 (Texas) | ||||||
| First win | 2006 Pocono 500 (Pocono) | ||||||
| Last win | 2024 Toyota Owners 400 (Richmond) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Xfinity Series career | |||||||
| 164 races run over 19 years | |||||||
| 2023 position | 77th | ||||||
| Best finish | 4th (2006) | ||||||
| First race | 2004 BI-LO 200 (Darlington) | ||||||
| Last race | 2023 Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 (Darlington) | ||||||
| First win | 2006 Telcel-Motorola 200 (Mexico City) | ||||||
| Last win | 2023 Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 (Darlington) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career | |||||||
| 16 races run over 9 years | |||||||
| 2013 position | 93rd | ||||||
| Best finish | 37th (2004) | ||||||
| First race | 2004 Power Stroke Diesel 200 (IRP) | ||||||
| Last race | 2013 Kroger 200 (Martinsville) | ||||||
| First win | 2011 Kroger 200 (Martinsville) | ||||||
| Last win | 2012 Kroger 200 (Martinsville) | ||||||
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| ARCA Menards Series career | |||||||
| 2 races run over 2 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 107th (2004) | ||||||
| First race | 2004 Food World 300 (Talladega) | ||||||
| Last race | 2005 PFG Lester 150 (Nashville) | ||||||
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| Signature | |||||||
| Statistics current as of February 19, 2024. | |||||||
As a driver, Hamlin has won a total of 53 NASCAR Cup Series races, including the Coca-Cola 600 in 2022, the Southern 500 in 2010, 2017, and 2021, and the Daytona 500 in 2016, 2019, and 2020; he is the fourth person to win the race in back-to-back seasons, alongside Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, and Sterling Marlin.
Hamlin has the most wins in the NASCAR Cup Series without a championship. Despite not winning the elusive title, he has been a perennial contender for it throughout his career. Except for the 2013 season, in which a collision with Joey Logano damaged his lower back and kept him out for a large part of the early season, Hamlin has competed in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs in every season he has competed full-time (17 seasons as of 2023), including his rookie season in 2006 when he finished third in the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup standings, capping off one of the most impressive rookie campaigns in modern NASCAR history.
Since 2023, Hamlin has hosted a weekly podcast on Dirty Mo Media called Actions Detrimental with Denny Hamlin where he offers extensive knowledge of both the business and racing side of the sport along with his co-host Jared Allen.