THE RACER

Considered one of the greatest NASCAR drivers of all-time, Denny Hamlin is a bona fide superstar in the sport. A veteran leader in the garage, Denny is highly regarded by his peers and the media, who consider him a top contender each season to win the NASCAR Cup Series championship.

In 2020, Denny entered his 15th full season driving the No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry in the NASCAR Cup Series for Joe Gibbs Racing. The season started off with a bang as Denny won the Daytona 500, marking his 38th career Cup win and third Daytona 500 victory in a five-year span. The milestone makes him just the sixth driver in NASCAR history to hoist Daytona’s Harley J. Earl Trophy at least three times, joining NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Jarrett (3), Jeff Gordon (3), Bobby Allison (3), Cale Yarborough (4) and Richard Petty (7).

2019 was a statement season for Denny and first-year Crew Chief Chris Gabehart. After registering a no-win season for the first time in his career in 2018, the veteran driver rebounded in forceful fashion to score six wins on the year, including his second Daytona 500 victory. Denny capped off the year with a Championship 4 playoffs berth in the season-finale race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he drove to a fourth-place finish in the point standings.

The 39-year-old originally burst onto the NASCAR scene in 2006 with two victories, becoming the first rookie to ever qualify for the NASCAR Playoffs. The 2006 Rookie of the Year has gone on to qualify for the NASCAR Playoffs in 13 of his 14 full seasons, finishing in the final top 5 in five of those seasons. In 2010, he recorded a season-high eight race wins to nearly capture the series title as the championship runner-up. Five years later, Denny won the 2015 NASCAR All-Star Race and its $1 million prize.

Now the longest-tenured driver at Joe Gibbs Racing with over 500 NASCAR Cup Series career starts, Denny boasts victories at 16 of the 24 race tracks that host NASCAR Cup Series races, showcasing his versatility with wins at every style of track (short tracks, intermediate tracks, superspeedways and road courses). Denny also ranks in the top five of almost every performance category for currently active drivers, including fourth in total career wins and third in total career poles.

Born November 18, 1980 in Tampa, Fla. and raised in Chesterfield, Va., Denny now resides in the Lake Norman area outside Charlotte, N.C. When not at the racetrack, Denny enjoys spending time with his two young daughters (Taylor and Molly) and playing with friends in the two sports leagues he founded – The Hoops Group and The Golf Guys Tour.

An avid sports fan, Denny is a court side season ticket holder of the Charlotte Hornets NBA team where he’s become fast friends with Hornets owner and NBA legend Michael Jordan. Denny also roots on his favorite childhood sports teams, the Washington Redskins and the Virginia Tech Hokies football teams.

On the community involvement side, Denny has been active for over a decade in raising awareness and over $2 million in funding for Cystic Fibrosis research and other causes through the Denny Hamlin Foundation.