3-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin comes clean on his “horrendous” crown jewel struggles since the NextGen’s arrival: “I’ve lost 37 times”

NASCAR Cup Series regular Denny Hamlin has won the Daytona 500 not once, not twice, but thrice. However, he has suffered 37 losses at the 2.5-mile tri-oval as well.

In a recent interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Hamlin recalled his finishes at Daytona with the NextGen car. Calling them “horrendous”, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver said that he was constantly learning the nuances of the new car.

“The stats don't lie. In NextGen era, it's been horrendous. The finishes have been really, really bad,” Denny Hamlin explained. “I think it's because what I've been good at in the previous generation cars going all out, wide open. I wanna keep this thing going...we wanna go 100 percent all the time. And NextGen...with fuel saving, and all that stuff like, that's not my forte. I've got to learn to be better at it.” (00:28)

Hamlin has been competing in NASCAR’s national series for decades now. He knows the tactics it takes to win in a simple green-white-checkered situation. But throw a caution in there and things start going southward.

“I have got to work on all the other stuff to get myself back in that position again,” he added. (01:17)

Including this year’s duels at Daytona, Denny Hamlin has made 73 starts at the “World Center of Racing". Paired with new crew chief Charles Denike, the 44-year-old speedster will race next week as he eyes his fourth Daytona 500 victory.

William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports is the reigning champion of the famed 500-miler that has been opening seasons since 1982. Notably, 2025 will mark his 24th start at Daytona International Speedway.

The 67th Daytona 500 is scheduled for Sunday, February 16, and will be televised on FOX from 1:30 pm ET onwards. MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will provide radio coverage.

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Denny Hamlin drops his verdict on wreck-plagued ARCA race at Daytona

Saturday afternoon’s ARCA Menards Series race at Daytona was indeed a wreck fest. Named Ride the ‘Dente 200, this race was marred by six cautions and three multi-car crashes in the first half itself, as reported by Frontstretch.com.

15 drivers, including Cody Dennison, Willie Mullins, and Thad Moffitt, were involved in the big wreck that happened on lap 5. It caught Denny Hamlin’s attention who got worried that the fans watching the event on FOX’s flagship station would mistake it for the real deal ahead of the Daytona 500.

On that note, he tweeted,

“Wonder if the casuals at home watching Fox right now are thinking that this is NASCAR. Yikes.”

Hopefully, the mayhem won’t drive the viewers away from tuning in on Sunday. After all, there’s a lot to be excited about.

Actor Anthony Mackie, known for playing The Falcon in the Marvel Avengers series, will serve as this year’s Grand Marshall, while Grammy-winning rapper Pitbull will kick start the event with a power-packed performance. President Donald Trump is also expected to show up for the crown jewel race.