“I’m sorry”: Denny Hamlin candidly admits to not knowing Ohio State anthem

NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin doesn’t know the state anthem of Ohio. When asked to sing along, the Tampa, Florida native admitted that he did not know the lyrics. Instead, he just swung his hands like the conductor of an orchestra.

Hamlin, 44, drives the No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing. He also owns 23XI Racing, a North Carolina-based race team, alongside former NBA star Michael Jordan.

Recently, Hamlin was seen watching the Ohio State Buckeyes football game between Ohio State and Oregon on the white screen. Ohio secured a 41-21 win over Oregon and later, gathered to sing Beautiful Ohio, originally sung by Ruth Lenox.

Travis Rockhold, an industry insider and producer at Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Dirty Mo Media, panned the camera at Hamlin and urged him to sing along.

“I don’t know (the lyrics); I’m sorry,” came Hamlin’s prompt reply.

Hamlin has 54 wins in the Cup Series, the second-most among the current NASCAR Cup Series drivers. His triumphs include victories in crown jewel races like the Coca-Cola 600, the Southern 500, and the Daytona 500.

Last season, he finished 8th in points, picking three wins along the way. He also amassed 12 top-5s and 18 top-10s and led a combined 943 laps.

2025 is going to be Hamlin’s first year with Chris Gayle as his crew chief. Gayle has won two Cup Series and 37 Xfinity Series races besides the 2022 Xfinity Series championship. Meanwhile, Hamlin’s old crew chief, Chris Gabehart, got promoted to competition director at Joe Gibbs Racing.

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23XI Racing's Tyler Reddick follows boss Denny Hamlin with similar life updates

Denny Hamlin and fiancée Jordan Fish are going to be parents again. A few days ago, the veteran racer announced the big news through a heartfelt post on Instagram.

Hamlin and Fish already have two daughters, Taylor and Molly. Whether Taylor and Molly are going to have a brother or a sister is unknown as of now. Here is the post by the Toyota star:

Meanwhile, Tyler Reddick, who drives the No. 45 entry for 23XI Racing, also recently announced that his wife Alexa was pregnant with their second child and is expecting in June 2025. Needless to say, celebrations are due for both the driver and the owner.

An elated Reddick posted,

“A new year and a new family member is coming to the Reddick household!” Tyler Reddick captioned the post. “Baby #2 arriving in June!”

Despite all preoccupations, Hamlin and Reddick have to prepare for the 2025 season, which kicks off at Bowman Gray Stadium on Sunday, February 2, 8 pm ET onwards. Fans can watch the duo race on FOX or listen to radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR.