Denny Hamlin joked that he was the “king of irrational confidence” after returning to the victory lane in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race in Martinsville.
Hamlin gave a dominant performance in the seventh round of the season, leading over half of the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota’s 400 laps, winning the race with nearly five seconds.
The Florida-born driver won his sixth victory on a half-mile short track, but it was his first victory at the venue since 2015. This was also his first victory with new crew chief Chris Gale, who took over the car driving at the beginning of the year.
Hamlin is now 44 years old and had to deal with questions about his retirement at the end of the 2024 season.
Asked if he had any points in the last 12 months when he thought he could not win another victory, he said: “I am probably the king of irrational confidence.
“I know that when I get a car to do that, I can be the best, so…
“I don’t feel like I’m holding my car down anytime, and certainly I’m not spared the realization that my father’s time is undefeated.
“Everything I need to be a race car driver is still really sharp. I feel it’s not happening yet. That’s not the case yet.”
Hamlyn’s Martinsville success marked his 55th career victory in the Cup Series, placing Rusty Wallace and leveling on the list of NASCAR drivers who have won most races.
The JGR driver, who also co-owns the 23xi race, admitted that he appreciates each victory even more as he is in the twilight years of his career.
“Yes, it’s certainly a big thing. Surely you learn to appreciate them a little more,” he said.
“When you’re in your 30s or something, you don’t know if you have a very long runway in front of you. You’re always thinking, ‘We’ll win next week, the next week, the next week, the next week.”
“It’s true that many races I’m going to win between now and the end, I just understand the wisdom you have, the value of it, how difficult it is, and I’m not always here. I think it’s been a few years since they were in the winning lane.
“The person who came back to this track was 55 years old, when 55-year-old Rusty Wallace came in 55th 10 years ago. I have time to digest everything, but it’s really great at the moment.”
During the post-race celebration, Hamlin raised the flag that read “11 against 11.” The photo was widely circulated on social media.
Asked to explain the meaning behind that flag, he said: “My peers, my Ohio fans hang out late last year, and we’ve always had “Ohio against the world.”