“Michael Jordan used that as motivation”: Denny Hamlin opens up on his negative image among NASCAR fans in last few years

During a conversation with Kenny Wallace, Denny Hamlin shed light on his 'prick' image in NASCAR circling from the past few years and slid how Michael Jordan dealt with his fans during his career. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver became infamous after several instances of him turning down fans' autograph requests gained traction.

NASCAR is among the most popular motorsports series in the United States and the drivers have a long list of fans waiting to get a glimpse of them during the race weekends. While many stop by to take pictures, sign merchandise, and share a word or two with their admirers, Denny Hamlin is slightly introverted.

A few years back in 2018, the JGR driver cited turning down autograph requests whenever he was rushing to jump into his #11 Toyota and battle with the pack on the asphalt as the reason behind his unpopular image among the fans.

However, when Kenny Wallace asked Denny Hamlin if he was a "prick" or "mean," the latter highlighted he does his "best" for the fans. Furthermore, the Florida native revealed that he replicates how Michael Jordan used make-believe notions about fans as his motivation to excel.

"I try to do my best to accommodate fans who come to racetracks. If I am seeing someone wearing my gear, if I'm not late to somewhere, I will stop and sign for them or say hello to them. The rivalry that I have with fans from the last years or so, the sport has been the spirit of the game. Sometimes you need some self-motivation to push yourself to the next level," Hamlin said via The Kenny Wallace Show on X (0.19).

"When you watch documentaries like 'Michael's [Jordan] Last Dance,' the things he would make up in his own head that people said about him that wasn't actually true but he used that as motivation to push himself harder. I feel I do that sometimes with the race fans," he added.

Denny Hamlin slams scarcity of "ethics" in NASCAR after witnessing the chaotic closing laps

The rain-shortened Chicago Street Race witnessed a plethora of wrecks because of water-logged asphalt. Subsequently, the race was red-flagged on Lap 26 for one hour and 15 minutes. But soon after the 58-lap dash resumed, the chaotic affair also marked its return. Drivers like Shane van Gisbergen, Kyle Larson, and Christopher Bell, among others, succumbed to a DNF after getting trapped in a wreck on the narrow street circuit.

Moreover, during the closing laps, friction arose between Daniel Suarez and Chase Elliott, and the former retaliated for the latter's wreck. Additionally, the drivers scrounged for the lead, which resulted in several high-octane rides being crashed out of the picture, let alone complete the race.

On the contrary, Denny Hamlin witnessed a surge in his track position but he revealed it was because the drivers kept colliding which cleared the field for him. Though that benefitted the JGR driver, he laid bare his displeasure about the lack of "ethics", especially during the final moments.

"What's kind of crappy to see, is it seems like... Ethics goes out the window a little bit. I mean, we saw it a little bit. I mean every corner like I kept gaining a spot because somebody would ship someone in the corner and just send them off the tire barriers. So, you know because they knew that the end was getting near right. And that's just wonder like, is that? Is it really kind of worth it to do that?" Hamlin said via Dirty Mo Media on X.

Denny Hamlin is placed fourth in the regular season standings and second in the Playoff Picture behind the leader, Kyle Larson.