Career Timeline of Denny Hamlin: Major Achievements and Milestones

Discover the career path of Denny Hamlin, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Denny Hamlin is a prominent American professional stock car racing driver. He currently races full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, piloting the No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing. Beyond his driving career, Hamlin is also a team owner, co-owning and operating 23XI Racing alongside NBA legend Michael Jordan. He is one of the most recognizable faces in motorsports.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1993: Joe Gibbs Racing's Daytona 500 Win

In 1993, Joe Gibbs Racing won the Daytona 500. This was their first victory in the event until Denny Hamlin won the event in 2016.

2004: Truck series and ARCA debut

In 2004, Denny Hamlin made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut with EJP Racing, finishing tenth at IRP. That same year, Hamlin also made his ARCA RE/MAX Series start at Talladega Superspeedway, finishing third.

2005: Full Season in Busch Series and Cup Series Debut

In 2005, Denny Hamlin ran the full season in the Busch Series, finishing fifth in the championship standings as a rookie. 2005 also marked Hamlin's debut in the Nextel Cup Series at Kansas Speedway, driving the No. 11 FedEx-sponsored Chevrolet.

June 11, 2006: First Cup Series Win at Pocono

On June 11, 2006, Denny Hamlin achieved his first career Cup Series win at the Pocono 500, also securing his second career pole that day.

2006: Full-Time Cup Driver

In 2006, Denny Hamlin was announced as the full-time driver for the No. 11 car, marking a significant step in his NASCAR Cup Series career.

2006: Rookie Year and Pocono Wins

In 2006, Denny Hamlin won both Pocono races during his rookie year.

2007: 2007 Season Summary

In 2007, Denny Hamlin started the Cup season with a 28th-place finish at Daytona, won at New Hampshire, finished 43rd at Daytona, made the Chase, finishing 12th overall, and had three Nationwide Series victories.

2008: 2008 Season Summary

In 2008, Denny Hamlin finished eighth in points with an early-season win at Martinsville. Hamlin also won four races in the Nationwide Series.

August 3, 2009: Fifth career Cup win at Pocono

On August 3, 2009, Denny Hamlin won his fifth career Cup race at Pocono, breaking a 50-race winless streak and marking his third win at Pocono. The victory came shortly after the passing of his grandmother.

October 25, 2009: TUMS Fast Relief 500 Win at Martinsville

On October 25, 2009, Denny Hamlin won the TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway, holding off Jimmie Johnson.

March 29, 2010: Martinsville Win and Knee Surgery Announcement

On March 29, 2010, Denny Hamlin won the rain-postponed race at Martinsville Speedway. Just two days earlier, he announced he would undergo knee surgery the following Monday.

April 19, 2010: Return to Racing after Knee Surgery and Win at Texas

On April 19, 2010, Denny Hamlin returned to racing just three weeks after knee surgery, winning at Texas Motor Speedway.

2010: Dominant Season

In 2010, Denny Hamlin had a dominant season, with three wins: the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series events. Hamlin became the first driver to sweep both races at Darlington since 1993, adding wins at Pocono and Michigan later in the season.

2010: Chase for the Sprint Cup

In 2010, Denny Hamlin secured his spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup after Atlanta. During the first Chase race, an incident caused him to spin, narrowly losing to Clint Bowyer.

2011: Near Win in Budweiser Shootout

In 2011, Denny Hamlin was close to winning the Budweiser Shootout, but Kurt Busch passed him after Hamlin crossed the yellow line, costing him the victory.

April 22, 2012: Victory at Kansas

On April 22, 2012, Denny Hamlin secured his second victory of the year at Kansas, outlasting Martin Truex Jr.

2012: Crew Chief Change Announced

At the end of the 2011 season, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Mike Ford would not return as Denny Hamlin's crew chief for the 2012 season.

2012: Darian Grubb Hired as Crew Chief

In 2012, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Darian Grubb would replace Mike Ford as Denny Hamlin's crew chief.

2012: Phoenix Win

Since 2012, Denny Hamlin had his first career victory at Phoenix.

2014: Martinsville Win

In 2014 at Martinsville, Denny Hamlin recovered from a penalty to win after battling Brad Keselowski, marking his fifth victory at the track.

2014: Championship 4 Appearance

In 2014, Denny Hamlin appeared in the Championship 4.

2014: Sprint Unlimited Win and Daytona 500 Runner-Up

In 2014, Denny Hamlin started strong by winning the Sprint Unlimited and a Budweiser Duel. During the 2014 Daytona 500, he led 16 laps but finished second to Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2015: Close Calls and Mixed Results in 2015

In 2015, Denny Hamlin started at the rear in the Budweiser Duels due to a penalty. During the 2015 Daytona 500, he finished 4th. Later in Atlanta, Hamlin finished 38th after a wreck, and then finished 5th at Las Vegas but struggled in Phoenix, finishing 24th.

2016: Strong Sonoma Performance in 2016

In 2016 at Sonoma, Denny Hamlin led 12 laps and ran in the top two for most of the race but finished 4th after losing grip late in the race.

2016: Hamlin as Guest Analyst for Fox

In 2016, Denny Hamlin served as a guest analyst for Fox during the Xfinity Series race at Talladega.

2016: Closest Finish in the Race's History

In 2016, Denny Hamlin's win over Martin Truex Jr. was the closest finish in the Daytona 500's history.

2016: Daytona 500 Victory and Crew Chief Change in 2016

In 2016, Denny Hamlin, with new crew chief Mike Wheeler, won the Sprint Unlimited. At the 2016 Daytona 500, he narrowly beat Martin Truex Jr., securing Joe Gibbs' first victory in the event since 1993. However, he wrecked at Martinsville, finishing 39th.

2017: Southern 500 Win

In 2017, Denny Hamlin had his second Southern 500 win.

2017: Victory at New Hampshire in 2017

In 2017, Denny Hamlin started 8th and won at New Hampshire, marking his 30th career NASCAR Cup Series victory and Joe Gibbs Racing’s first win of the season.

2019: Shoulder Injury and Championship 4 Appearance in 2019

In 2019, Denny Hamlin announced a torn labrum but still secured his fifth win of the season at Kansas and advanced to the Championship 4 for the first time since 2014, winning at Phoenix.

2019: Daytona 500 Victory and Carbon Monoxide Incident in 2019

In 2019, Denny Hamlin won his second Daytona 500, dedicating the win to J.D. Gibbs. He later suffered carbon monoxide poisoning during the Dover race.

September 21, 2020: Hamlin and Jordan form 23XI Racing

On September 21, 2020, Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan announced the formation of 23XI Racing, a single-car team for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, with Bubba Wallace driving the No. 23 car.

2020: Third Daytona 500 Victory and Ryan Newman Incident in 2020

In 2020, Denny Hamlin won his third Daytona 500, but the victory was overshadowed by Ryan Newman's severe crash and subsequent controversy over Hamlin's post-race celebration.

September 5, 2021: Southern 500 Victory and Playoff Advancement

On September 5, 2021, Denny Hamlin won the Southern 500 at Darlington, securing a spot in the Round of 12 in the Playoffs.

2021: Playoff Berth and Criticism of Indianapolis Road Course in 2021

In 2021, Denny Hamlin secured a Playoff berth despite not winning a race, criticizing NASCAR's use of the Indianapolis road course.

May 16, 2022: Kurt Busch wins at Kansas Speedway

On May 16, 2022, Kurt Busch secured 23XI's second win at Kansas Speedway, leading 116 of 267 laps.

July 12, 2022: Reddick to join 23XI Racing in 2024

On July 12, 2022, it was announced that Tyler Reddick would join 23XI Racing full-time in 2024.

2023: Hamlin Launches Actions Detrimental Podcast

In 2023, Denny Hamlin launched a weekly podcast with Dirty Mo Media called Actions Detrimental.

2023: Xfinity Series Victory at Darlington

In 2023, Denny Hamlin returned to the Xfinity Series after a two-year hiatus, winning at Darlington in September.

2024: Hamlin's 2024 Season Start

In 2024, Denny Hamlin began the season with a win at the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, faced a wreck at the Daytona 500 finishing 19th, and secured his first pole of the season at Phoenix.

2025: Changes for 2025 Season

In 2025, FedEx ended its 20-year partnership with JGR, Chris Gabehart was promoted to competition director, and Chris Gayle was named the new crew chief for the No. 11 car.