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MADISON, ILLINOIS – JUNE 05: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Freight Toyota, looks on during the NASCAR Cup Series Enjoy Illinois 300 at WWT Raceway on June 05, 2022 in Madison, Illinois. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
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MADISON, ILLINOIS – JUNE 05: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Freight Toyota, looks on during the NASCAR Cup Series Enjoy Illinois 300 at WWT Raceway on June 05, 2022 in Madison, Illinois. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
There are two popular definitions of success in NASCAR—one narrow, and the other slightly broader. The narrow one would only have 35 drivers making the cut. But the broader one would include a lot of gems, including the likes of Denny Hamlin.
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Hamlin has been around for a long long time. He joined the Cup Series in 2005 for Joe Gibbs Racing and has been running the show for the team since then. That’s 18 years at the top of the sport.
Undoubtedly, he’s had some really good seasons. But the much sought-after trophy has always eluded the driver. He came close on multiple occasions, most famously in the 2010 season when he lost out to a rampaging Jimmie Johnson.
That lack of silverware is what has always put a question mark around the legacy he will leave when retires. If not for all fans, some seriously do believe that he didn’t do enough to be considered among the “greats.”
And that specific statistic continues to haunt him. Hamlin had posted a critical tweet about an NFL player that read: “How can you have such a long career as NFL QB but not be able to actually throw the ball?” The tweet was picked up by a fan, which began a bit of an altercation. At the end of it, though, the fan conceded that Hamlin has always taken criticism on his chin—always sportingly.
How can you have such a long career as NFL QB but not be able to actually throw the ball?
— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) January 29, 2023
I don’t speed in the playoffs. Not saying never. But 80% of my penalties are early in year building a notebook for last 10.
— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) January 29, 2023
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It would always be difficult to make an argument against Hamlin’s legacy, whenever he decides to retire. He has just been too good.
NASCAR fans are unforgiving toward Denny Hamlin
As Hamlin and the fan continued their conversation, others got into the act. They started to point out the glaring hole in Hamlin’s CV, and how that precluded him from criticizing the NFL player.
Dont say it
Dont say it
Dont say it
Dont … say … it…. AGHH DAMMIT FRICK IT HOW DO U NOW HAVE A CHAMPIONSHIP LMAO https://t.co/lp4F8GDUgg— Golden Auto (@Nii_SanR32) January 30, 2023
How can you have such a long nascar career and no championship. Stones…glass houses. Geez
— AMP (@ashpotts13) January 29, 2023
How can u have such as long racing career if u can’t win championships?
— Latham Joiner (@latham_joiner) January 29, 2023
Denny we will not be accepting Josh Johnson slander on the TL today
— Kevin Costello (@kjcos99) January 29, 2023
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Hamlin believes he has time left at JGR. How long that is, and whether it’ll be enough to win a Cup Series, no one knows.
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