"My goal was to be in Mini Truckin' magazine" - Denny Hamlin on teenage obsession for Ford Ranger

Joe Gibbs Racing(JGR) driver Denny Hamlin had a teenage craze for owning a mini truck and getting featured in the trucking magazine.

Denny Hamlin drives the No. 11 Toyota Camry for JGR and competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series. In a recent episode with Kevin Harvick on his Happy Hour podcast, the 43-year-old was seen in candid conversation with other JGR drivers.

In the conversation, Hamlin talked about his obsession with owning a Ford Ranger and customizing it with graphics and low suspension.

Harvick asked the 43-year-old his reason behind the desire, saying:

"Tell them why you wanted a Ford Ranger." (30:26)

To this, Denny Hamlin responded by saying that being in "Mini Truckin'" magazine was a goal in his life. The 43-year-old also said that he got into the magazine after making some adjustments to the car.

"My goal in life was to be in mini trucking magazine. So I lowered this thing put airbags on it, just scraping the ground tubbed out the back, tweed interior Tweed and I finally got my picture. I got a little tiny picture from a car show in Charlotte called the booger bash the booger bash the booger bash. So that was a big car show in Charlotte that used to happen and so I finally got in that magazine so my life was made."

After this, Kevin Harvick wanted Hamlin to add a major crux to the story. Harvick asked:

"How its life end?"

"oh yeah! I ran in the back of a school bus," replied Hamlin.

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A brief look at Denny Hamlin's first car

23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin in his early days bought a Ford Ranger as his first car.

In a one-to-one interview on Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour podcast (via NASCAR Fox), Harvick asked Hamlin about his first car, To which the JGR driver replied by saying that it was a Ford Ranger he brought from his brother.

"The first car I bought was a Ford Ranger from my brother actually. He got it for Christmas two or three years before I got it. But I bought it from him and so it was just a Ford Ranger Splash and I remember the first thing I did was chop it lower to the ground put graphics on it had a spoiler on the back 18-inch wheels," Hamlin said. (40:21)

Hamlin later on added what he did with the money that he received from Joe Gibbs Racing in his initial days.

"I got my check from Jo Gibbs Racing it was $10,000 to be their development driver well I took that 10,000 I bought rims from my Ford Ranger and I bought a plasma TV and that money was spent in two weeks and but I had the nicest low rider in Chesterfield Virginia."