Denny Hamlin, a legend in NASCAR, has introspectively evaluated his career and the impetus behind his fiery competitiveness, both on and off the track. In a revealing conversation with Kenny Wallace on the 'Kenny Conversation', Hamlin disclosed his thoughts on retirement and his ongoing battle with appreciating his own career achievements.
Hamlin, a future Hall of Famer known for his 54 career wins, thrice clinching both the Daytona 500 and Southern 500, and four-time victor of the Busch Light Clash, continues to push the pedals hard, aiming to rack up more wins. Yet, behind his illustrious victories and celebratory champagne sprays, lies a contemplation about the where his racing journey could end - a time he feels will allow him to look back and appreciate everything he's been able to achieve.
"I think about the ones that got away ... It's crazy, we do not celebrate our own accomplishments, we usually only celebrate our kids' accomplishments or our friends' accomplishments," Hamlin confessed.
Hamlin admits: "We rarely take time to really sit back and enjoy what we've accomplished ourselves. I'm very, very guilty of that."
Hamlin's relationship with his achievements is complicated. While he places significant value on adding to his seemingly endless "stat column", the emotional connection to his accomplishments seems fleeting.
"If I go and win this weekend I'm going to be over it by Tuesday and I'm going to be thinking about how I'm going to win Indy the following week. So, I think that that's kind of, retirement is the time to really kind of reflect on those things for me. I really care about packing up the stat column now, like, I want to keep building that resume that you just read there, I mean, that means a lot to me."
The racer also wrestles with his legacy and sense of worth among the legends of the sport. Despite his significant victories, especially at the Southern 500, the Florida driver shared a profound insecurity:
"I look at my name or my face on the trophy for the Southern 500 and I see the greats of all-time, I feel like I don't belong on that trophy.
"So, it's surreal to me what I've accomplished what I have in this sport, I just haven't sat down and really enjoyed them quite yet. Which is a shame because I know that, that's part of why I work so hard to do this and do this at a high level is because you want to accomplish these things and enjoy those accomplishments.
"But I'm probably too big of an asshole like I said on my podcast when it comes to competition, I just, this one's not good enough, I need another and I need another. So, I certainly feel like it's a character flaw in me that I need to enjoy things a little more."
About the writer
Alex Harrington has been a journalist for 8 years, specialising in technology, automotive, and motorsport coverage for the likes of ... Read more
