Denny Hamlin’s cryptic two-word message unleashes a tidal wave of fan frenzy

Denny Hamlin recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to post a cryptic message that confused some fans. While Hamlin didn't provide context in his tweet, the driver could be referring to the recent changes in the rule book or the antitrust lawsuit battle against NASCAR.

Hamlin is a 44-year-old Virginia native who drives the No. 11 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing. He is also the co-owner of the 23XI Racing, a Cup Series team which sued NASCAR for alleged monopolistic practices.

In an X post, Denny Hamlin dropped a two-word message shortly after the league updated its rule book.

"Lol. Wow," he wrote.

One fan had an even shorter message to Hamlin's cryptic message, saying:

"What?"

"What happened?," another fan wrote.

"What did I miss?" an X user stated.

"Give thoughts!" another fan commented.

Meanwhile, other fans told Hamlin to give more context on his podcast, Action Detrimental.

"We need an episode of AD to break down this reaction," one X user said.

"Podcast time," another fan wrote.

Under the revised rule book, NASCAR implemented a stricter playoff waiver ruling. Drivers who get a playoff waiver will forfeit their playoff points and start the postseason with a maximum of 2,000 points in the reset standings.

However, playoff waivers given due to medical reasons (including the birth of a child) exempt drivers from the said penalty. The postseason penalty only applies to drivers who missed a race for non-medical reasons such as suspension or skipping a race.

With Denny Hamlin expecting a baby around June, the driver should be excused from the playoff waiver penalty if he wishes to miss a race to welcome his newborn.

Perhaps the cryptic message is related to the suspension that can affect not only him but also his 23XI Racing drivers (Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace, and Riley Herbst).

If the message isn't directed at the playoff waiver ruling, Hamlin might be referring to the new Open Exemptional Provisional (OEP) rule. The OEP allows NASCAR to guarantee an open team to the race as the 41st entry.

But considering the rule doesn't affect the original four open slots, the JGR driver might be taking a jab at something else.

The most relevant issue would be the lawsuit battle against NASCAR. However, 23XI had a positive outcome after the court denied the league's motion to dismiss the case on January 10, contrasting Hamlin's cryptic message.

Since these are still new developments, the driver might provide more context in the coming days.

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Denny Hamlin's fiancée Jordan shares baby bump on social media

A few days ago, Denny Hamlin's fiancée, Jordan Fish, showed her baby bump on social media. While the baby would become the couple's third daughter, Fish counted four babies on her IG story, including their dog, Lulu.

Fish said (via Instagram stories):

" One baby... two babies... three babies... four."

Jordan Fish's Instagram story - Source: @xojordanfish on IG

Hamlin currently has two daughters, Taylor James, 11, and Molly Gold, 7. Meanwhile, Lulu was brought to the family after his daughters saw the stray dog under the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri last June.

The third baby is expected to be born sometime in June, which could coincide with the new non-US race in Mexico City.

For now, Hamlin is preparing for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season with Joe Gibbs Racing. He will return to the No. 11 Toyota Camry alongside Christopher Bell, Ty Gibbs, and new teammate Chase Briscoe.