“All I cared about was NASCAR”: Despite Garage 56’s Le Mans success, Denny Hamlin doesn't ‘care’ about the prestigious race

Star NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin made a surprising revelation as he admitted that the 24 Hours of Le Mans was not on his bucket list. The 24-hour race in France, Europe, is one of the most prestigious races in the world, being one of the crown jewel races of motorsports.

The Garage 56 team, which represented NASCAR's entry in the centenary Le Mans race, has been in the headlines for completing the twice-round-the-clock race. However, Hamlin is not concerned about the endurance race across the Atlantic Ocean, as he is focused on stock car racing in America.

Speaking on his podcast, Actions Detrimental, Hamlin admitted that all he cared about was NASCAR. Growing up in Virginia, the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver spent his time on go-karts and dirt racing on ovals and hence never aspired to competing in Le Mans.

Hamlin said:

"Never once has it come up on my bucket list of things that I care to do. It’s not what I was born aspiring to do. I understand that it’s a huge race. I get it. I’ve never been super into Le Mans just simply because I grew up in Virginia on go-karts on a dirt oval, and all I cared about was NASCAR racing."

Denny Hamlin does wish to attend the race rather than participate in the event, as he concluded:

"So, no, it’s not on my list. I would love to attend. I think it’d be cool to attend."

Although the veteran Cup Series driver is not excited about the endurance race, Garage 56's achievement in Europe is a monumental success for NASCAR.

Finishing the race in the 39th position out of the 62 entrants, the Garage 56 team displayed the strength of the next-gen car to the entire world.

Winning the 24-hour race might not be on Denny Hamlin's bucket list as he seeks his maiden Cup Series championship, which has eluded him for several years.

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Denny Hamlin reveals his aspect of interest in Le Mans

Le Mans 24 Hour Race

During his visit to Le Mans, Denny Hamlin wishes to learn more about the business side of the participating teams. As a Cup Series team owner, Hamlin is curious to learn about branding and sponsorships.

Transforming from a racer to a team owner, the #11 Toyota driver said:

"I’m not going there to watch cars go around the racetrack for 24 hours. I’m going there to see well how a team [is] branding their team apparel. How are they doing their cars? How does the team look? I’m interested in all those kinds of things. What kind of pre-race parties are there for the event?"

He added:

"Anything that we can learn as a race team. Hospitality, how are they treating their sponsors versus what we do?"

When in Le Mans, the 23XI Racing team co-owner will spend his time making notes rather than watching the racing spectacle.