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, currently competing full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series for Joe Gibbs Racing, driving the No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE. Beyond driving, Hamlin is also a team owner, co-owning and operating 23XI Racing alongside NBA legend Michael Jordan. He has had a successful career as a driver, achieving numerous wins and establishing himself as a significant figure in NASCAR.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1966: James Hylton's Points Finish

In 1966, James Hylton achieved the best points finish for a rookie, a record that Denny Hamlin later surpassed in the modern era of NASCAR.

1988: Started Racing Go-Karts

In 1988, at the age of 7, Denny Hamlin began his racing career, starting with go-karts.

1993: Mark Martin Sweeps Darlington Races

In 1993, Mark Martin was the last driver before Denny Hamlin in 2010 to sweep both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races at Darlington.

1993: First Daytona 500 win for Joe Gibbs since 1993

In 2016, Denny Hamlin's Daytona 500 win gave team owner Joe Gibbs his first victory in the event since 1993.

1997: Won WKA Manufacturers Cup

By 1997, at the age of 15, Denny Hamlin had won the WKA Manufacturers Cup.

1998: Racing Mini Stocks

In 1998, at age 16, Denny Hamlin started racing mini stocks, marking his progression in stock car racing. He then progressed to the Grand Stock division in 1998.

2000: Moved to Late Model Stock Cars

In 2000, Denny Hamlin transitioned to racing Late Model Stock Cars, advancing his career in stock car racing.

2000: Dominant Richmond Performance Since 2000

In 2008, Denny Hamlin had one of the most dominant performances by a driver since 2000 at Richmond, leading 381 out of 410 laps, before ultimately finishing 24th.

2002: Ten Late Model Victories

In 2002, Denny Hamlin achieved ten victories in Late Model races, showcasing his growing talent and success in the sport.

2002: Jimmie Johnson's Rookie Feat

In 2002, Jimmie Johnson swept both races at Dover Downs International Speedway in the same season, a feat only matched by Denny Hamlin as a rookie.

2003: 25 Wins and 30 Poles in Late Model

In 2003, Denny Hamlin had a successful season in Late Model Stock Cars, securing 25 wins and 30 pole positions out of 36 races.

2004: Kurt Busch's NASCAR Cup Series Championship

For the 2022 season, the team expanded to a two-car operation with the addition of the No. 45, driven by 2004 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Kurt Busch.

2004: Various Racing Series Debuts

In 2004, Denny Hamlin made his debut in multiple NASCAR series. He competed in five NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races with EJP Racing, achieving a tenth-place finish at IRP. He also made his first ARCA RE/MAX Series start at Talladega Superspeedway, finishing third. Additionally, Hamlin made his Busch Series debut at Darlington Raceway, finishing eighth.

2004: Signed with Joe Gibbs Racing

In 2004, while competing full-time in Late Model Stock Cars, Denny Hamlin signed a driver development contract with Joe Gibbs Racing, marking a significant step in his NASCAR career.

2005: Full Busch Series Season and Cup Series Debut

In 2005, Denny Hamlin ran the full season in the Busch Series, finishing fifth in points. He also debuted in the Nextel Cup Series, driving the No. 11 FedEx-sponsored Chevrolet at Kansas Speedway.

June 11, 2006: First Cup Series Win at Pocono

On June 11, 2006, Denny Hamlin secured his first Cup Series win at the Pocono 500, also achieving his second career pole.

2006: Impressive Rookie Season

In 2006, Denny Hamlin had an impressive rookie season, finishing third in the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup standings.

2006: Full-Time Cup Series Driver

In 2006, Denny Hamlin was announced as the full-time driver for the No. 11 car, driving the Chevrolet, for the season after Jason Leffler was released. He achieved three Top 10 finishes and one pole position in his seven Cup starts.

2006: Hamlin wins both Pocono races in rookie year

In 2006, during his rookie year, Denny Hamlin won both Pocono races, marking the beginning of a successful career.

2007: 2007 Season Highlights

In 2007, Denny Hamlin started the Cup season with a 28th-place finish at the Daytona 500 and won the Lenox Industrial Tools 300 at New Hampshire. He finished 43rd at the Pepsi 400 after a wreck. Hamlin made the Chase for the Cup but finished 12th overall. In the Nationwide Series, he won races at Darlington, Michigan, and Dover.

2008: 2008 Season and Martinsville Win

In 2008, Denny Hamlin finished eighth in points and won early in the season at Martinsville. He dominated the race at Richmond, leading 381 laps but finished 24th after cutting a tire. He also won four races in the Nationwide Series.

August 3, 2009: Fifth Career Cup Win at Pocono

On August 3, 2009, Denny Hamlin secured his fifth career Cup win at Pocono Raceway. He confidently declared his intent to win before the final restart and surged from sixth to first, breaking a 50-race winless streak. This victory marked his third at Pocono.

October 25, 2009: TUMS Fast Relief 500 Win

On October 25, 2009, Denny Hamlin held off Jimmie Johnson to win the TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway. This victory contributed to his impressive 5th place finish in the overall standings for the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

March 29, 2010: Martinsville Speedway Win

On March 29, 2010, Denny Hamlin won the rain-postponed race at Martinsville Speedway, finishing ahead of his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Joey Logano and Jeff Gordon.

April 19, 2010: Win at Texas After Knee Surgery

On April 19, 2010, just three weeks after undergoing knee surgery, Denny Hamlin returned to racing at Texas, where he secured his 10th career win. He passed Jeff Burton and held off Jimmie Johnson to win.

2010: Southern 500 Win

In 2010, Denny Hamlin achieved a victory in the Southern 500 race.

2010: Chase for the Sprint Cup

In 2010, Denny Hamlin finished 43rd in the Emory Healthcare 500 at Atlanta, dropping in the Chase standings. However, he secured his spot in the 2010 Chase for the Sprint Cup. In the first Chase race, he narrowly lost to Clint Bowyer after a spin caused by Carl Edwards.

2010: Victories at Darlington and Pocono

In 2010, Denny Hamlin had a successful season, including victories at Darlington Raceway and Pocono Raceway. He secured his third win of 2010 on May 8 at Darlington Raceway, becoming the first driver to sweep both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series events since Mark Martin in 1993. He also dominated the Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500 Presented by Target at Pocono Raceway, earning his 12th career win.

2010: Past Successes at Michigan

Prior to the first practice at Michigan in 2011, it was noted that Denny Hamlin had previously secured a 1st and 2nd place finish at Michigan in 2010.

2010: Hamlin's Season with Eight Wins

The 2019 season marked the second in Denny Hamlin's career with at least six wins, the first being in 2010 when he had eight wins.

2011: Near Win at Budweiser Shootout

In 2011, Denny Hamlin nearly won the Budweiser Shootout, but the victory was denied when Kurt Busch passed him after Hamlin crossed the yellow line in turn four.

2011: Grubb's Championship with Stewart

In 2012, Darian Grubb joined Denny Hamlin's team as a crew chief. Previously, Grubb guided Tony Stewart to his third Sprint Cup title in 2011.

April 22, 2012: Kansas Victory

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 Joins as Crew Chief

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

2012: Hamlin's Second Career Victory at Phoenix

In 2019, Denny Hamlin achieved his sixth win of the year at Phoenix, which was his second career victory at that track since 2012.

2013: Injury and Setback

In 2013, Denny Hamlin experienced a setback when a collision with Joey Logano resulted in severe damage to his lower back, forcing him to miss a significant portion of the early season.

2013: Rough Start to 2013 Season

In 2013, Denny Hamlin's season began with crashes in both the Sprint Unlimited and the Budweiser Duel, forcing him to use a backup car for the Daytona 500. At Bristol, he ran out of fuel despite leading the most laps. Controversy arose when he spun Joey Logano.

2014: Hamlin in Championship 4

In 2014, Denny Hamlin also advanced to the Championship 4, highlighting his competitive consistency.

2014: Start of Consecutive Race Streak

In 2025, Denny Hamlin announced that he would miss the Mexico City race due to the birth of his son, ending his 406 consecutive race start streak that began in 2014.

2016: Comparison to 2016 Win

Denny Hamlin's 2020 Daytona 500 win was the second-closest finish in the race's history, only surpassed by his 2016 win.

2016: Guest Analyst for Fox

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

2016: Daytona 500 Victory

In 2016, Denny Hamlin won the Daytona 500 race.

2016: NASCAR Heat Evolution

In 2016, Denny Hamlin, alongside his Toyota teammates, recorded video clips demonstrating how to drive a lap at each of the NASCAR tracks featured in the 2016 circuit for the video game NASCAR Heat Evolution.

2016: Hamlin wins Daytona 500 in closest finish in history

In 2016, Denny Hamlin, with new crew chief Mike Wheeler, won the Sprint Unlimited. In the Daytona 500 in 2016, Hamlin passed his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Matt Kenseth for the lead on the final lap and prevailed over Martin Truex Jr. by just 0.011 seconds, marking the closest finish in Daytona 500 history.

2017: Hamlin's Southern 500 win

In 2017, Denny Hamlin secured his second Southern 500 win and also won at New Hampshire in July.

2018: Eliminated from Championship Contention

In 2018, Denny Hamlin was eliminated from championship contention after the Round of 8. At Martinsville, Chastain's remarkable move pushed Hamlin out of the season finale contention, marking the first time since 2018 that he missed it. He finished the season fifth in points.

2019: Daytona 500 Victory

In 2019, Denny Hamlin achieved victory at the Daytona 500.

2019: Hamlin wins Daytona 500, suffers carbon monoxide poisoning

In 2019, Denny Hamlin won the Daytona 500 and suffered carbon monoxide poisoning during the spring race at Dover.

September 21, 2020: Formation of 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.

2020: Hamlin Wins Third Daytona 500 Amidst Controversy

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

2020: Daytona 500 Win

In 2020, Denny Hamlin won the Daytona 500.

2020: First Spring Race on Concrete Track Since 2020

In 2024, Denny Hamlin's win at Bristol marked the first spring race on the concrete track since 2020.

2020: Fourth Win of the Season

In 2025, Hamlin won his fourth race of the season at Dover; his most since 2020.

September 5, 2021: Hamlin wins Southern 500

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

October 4, 2021: Bubba Wallace's First Cup Series Victory

On October 4, 2021, Bubba Wallace secured his first career Cup Series victory at Talladega, making history as the first African-American driver to win a Cup race since Wendell Scott in 1963.

2021: Southern 500 Win

In 2021, Denny Hamlin secured another victory at the Southern 500.

May 16, 2022: Kurt Busch's Win at Kansas Speedway

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

July 12, 2022: Tyler Reddick Joins 23XI Racing

On July 12, 2022, 23XI Racing and Toyota Racing Development (TRD) announced that Tyler Reddick would join the team full-time in 2024.

2022: Front Cover of NASCAR Rivals

In 2022, Denny Hamlin appeared on the front cover of NASCAR Rivals, alongside his car.

2022: Withdrawal from Xfinity Race

In 2022, Denny Hamlin planned to participate in the Xfinity race but withdrew to recover from a crash in the previous week's Cup Series race at Daytona, ensuring he was ready for the Cup Series playoff opener the next day.

2022: Coca-Cola 600 Victory

In 2022, Denny Hamlin secured a significant victory at the Coca-Cola 600.

February 1, 2023: SRX Series Announcement

On February 1, 2023, it was announced that Denny Hamlin would compete in the 2023 SRX Series opener at Stafford Motor Speedway on July 13.

2023: Reddick Replaces Busch

Following Busch’s announcement on October 16 that he would step away from full-time racing in 2023, it was revealed that Reddick’s contract with Richard Childress Racing would be bought out by 23XI, and he would replace Busch for the 2023 season.

2023: Launch of Actions Detrimental Podcast

In 2023, Denny Hamlin launched a weekly podcast with Dirty Mo Media called Actions Detrimental, which airs every Monday morning. Hamlin hosts the show alongside his co-host, Jared Allen. The podcast features content from the latest Cup Series race, fan questions, and additional race insights from Hamlin.

2023: Victory at Darlington in Xfinity Series

In 2023, Denny Hamlin returned to the Xfinity Series after a two-year hiatus. In September, he drove Joe Gibbs Racing's No. 19 car to victory at Darlington.

2023: Fined for Intentionally Wrecking Ross Chastain

In 2023, Denny Hamlin was docked 25 points and fined $50,000 on March 15 after admitting on his podcast, Actions Detrimental, that he intentionally wrecked Ross Chastain during the Phoenix race's closing laps.

2024: Consistent Playoff Contender

As of 2024, Denny Hamlin has competed in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs in every full-time season except for 2013, marking 18 seasons as a consistent contender.

2024: Win at Bristol, Engine Violation Penalty

In 2024, Denny Hamlin won the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, and later secured a win at Bristol, which marked the first spring race on the concrete track since 2020. However, on August 22, the No. 11 team faced an L2 penalty after an engine inspection violation. Toyota Racing Development admitted that the race-winning engine from Bristol had been rebuilt instead of inspected by NASCAR.

2024: Tyler Reddick to Join 23XI Racing

On July 12, 2022, 23XI Racing and Toyota Racing Development (TRD) announced that Tyler Reddick would join the team full-time in 2024.

2025: Daytona 500 Wreck, Sponsorship Deal, and Wins

In 2025, Denny Hamlin started the season leading the Daytona 500 before being wrecked. On March 18, Progressive Insurance signed a deal to be the primary sponsor of the No. 11 car for 18 races. Later that month, Hamlin won at Martinsville, his first win at the track in a decade. During the season, he also scored wins at Darlington and Michigan.

2025: End of FedEx Sponsorship and Crew Chief Changes

In 2025, it was announced that FedEx would not return as the sponsor of the No. 11 car, ending a 20-year partnership with JGR. On November 22, JGR promoted Chris Gabehart to competition director, while Chris Gayle was named the new crew chief for the No. 11 car starting in 2025.