Denny Hamlin did not get much rest in the NASCAR offseason.
Since the end of the 2025 NASCAR Cup season, Hamlin’s father died and his mother was critically injured in a house fire. His 23XI Racing Team settled an anti-trust lawsuit with NASCAR, and he struggled with an ailment in his shoulder that was surgically repaired in 2023.
Still, Hamlin showed up for the Cook Out Clash preseason exhibition and is ready for the official start of the NASCAR season at the 2026 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 15 where he has been outstanding throughout his career.
Here is what you need to know about Denny Hamlin:
A housefire broke out at Denny Hamlin’s parents’ home in North Carolina with the two at the house in late December. Dennis Hamlin, who had ben battling health issues during the NASCAR season, died from the fire. Denny’s mom, Mary Lou, survived the fire and is improving.
The cause of the fire has not been made public.
At 45, Denny Hamlin is the oldest full-time driver in the Cup Series. He will celebrate his 46th birthday on Nov. 18.
Hamlin is a Tampa, Florida native, who made his NASCAR debut in 2004 in the Craftsman Truck Series at Indianapolis Raceway Park. He debuted in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series later in 2004 at Darlington and in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2005 at Kansas Speedway for Joe Gibbs Racing.
While Denny Hamlin has won 60 races, including six in 2025, he has not won a NASCAR Cup Series championship. Hamlin’s 60 wins is a record for a driver in terms of wins without a championship.
He finished runner-up in 2010 to Jimmie Johnson, who claimed a record for consecutive titles that year with five, and been in four championship appearances, including 2025.
Hamlin was just three laps from winning the Cup championship in 2025 before William Byron crashed. In the caution, Hamlin took four tires, restarted ninth and could not catch Kyle Larson who finished second, three places ahead of Hamlin, to claim the championship.
In the 2024 offseason, Denny Hamlin underwent surgery on his right shoulder due to a torn labrum.
Hamlin reaggravated the rotator cuff in his shoulder in December when he fell while sifting through the debris from a house fire in Stanley, North Carolina that killed his father and critically injured his mother.
Hamlin told reporters the injury would require surgery. He made the decision to hold off on the surgery until after the 2026 NASCAR season.
Denny Hamlin has won the Dayton 500 three times since 2016.
His first Daytona 500 championship featured the closest finish in the race’s history at that time. Hamlin beat Martin Turex Jr. by by 0.010 seconds.
Hamlin’s next Daytona 500 win came three years later in 2019 and he repeated in 2020 making him one of just five drivers to win the race in back-to-back years. The others are William Byron (2024, 2025), Sterling Marlin (1994, 1995), Cale Yarborough (1983, 1984) and Richard Petty (1973, 1974).
Even if his career ends without a NASCAR Cup championship, Denny Hamlin is expected to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
With three of his 60 career wins coming in the Daytona 500, along with three in the Southern 500, and a Coca-Cola 600 win, Hamlin is widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history.
Denny Hamlin has driven for Joe Gibbs Racing his entire NASCAR Cup career. However, Hamlin also is co-owner of 23XI Racing with NBA basketball legend Michael Jordan. The 23XI driver lineup includes Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace and Riley Herbst.
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