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Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin has been in the spotlight lately, garnering a surge in attention due to his strong performance and off-track endeavors.
The #11 JGR has kicked off his 2024 campaign with two wins, piloting the new Toyota Camry XSE. Off the track, Hamlin's weekly podcast Actions Detrimental, and a starring role in the 'NASCAR: Full Speed' documentary have also gained him a considerable fan base.
Hamlin seemingly attracted a fresh wave of fans after a recent war of words with Speedway Motorsports' Marcus Smith as he criticized the repave at Sonoma Raceway done by Smith's company. The exchange escalated on X (formerly Twitter), with the SMI CEO responding with personal comments, to which Hamlin also returned fire with his own remarks.
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Brett Griffin, co-host of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Door Bumper Clear podcast, opined that the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver deserved the Most Popular Award. Griffin highlighted Hamlin's accessibility to NASCAR fans and his willingness to share unfiltered opinions through various media channels.
Griffin wrote on X:
"Denny should win most popular driver. No one gives you more these days. On the track, Netflix, podcast, Twitter access….. what more could you want from a driver?"
Denny Hamlin will have tough competition to win the NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver Award, a title historically dominated by racing royalty. After Dale Earnhardt Jr. swept the award for 15 years, Chase Elliott has continued his father, Bill Elliott's (16-time winner) tradition, by winning the honors in the last six seasons.
If Hamlin secures the accolade, it will be a unique achievement considering his willingness to embrace the role of being a villain in NASCAR's premier series, a stance that earned him praise from Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.
Denny Hamlin concurs with Marcus Smith to put an end to online feud
The feud between the Speedway Motorsports CEO and the 23XI Racing co-owner left the NASCAR community in disbelief as they engaged in a series of brutal and personal exchanges online.
It began with Denny Hamlin criticizing the repave at Sonoma Raceway after images of the asphalt surface breaking up went viral on social media. Marcus Smith defended his company's work with a passionate reply and questioned Hamlin's championship record.
Hamlin then fired back, alleging that Smith was undoing his father Bruton Smith's legacy in the sport. Following the intense back-and-forth, Smith decided to delete all posts related, acknowledging that they had become too personal. He extended well wishes to the #11 Toyota driver, signaling an end to their confrontation.
Denny Hamlin echoed similar thoughts and wrote on X:
"Ill cosign this. I’ll definitely take responsibility for my part in it. It got more personal than it should have for sure."
