Denny Hamlin is set to race in a special throwback paint scheme on his #11 Toyota Camry in a tribute to former teammate, Carl Edwards. The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran announced the news on social media, which has garnered attention from the fans.
Hamlin will drive a red and black car in Darlington with Sports Clip Haircuts as the primary sponsor. The design is similar to Edwards' iconic Office Depot #99 car that he drove for Roush Fenway Racing in the 2000s. Edwards, who was inducted into the 2025 NASCAR Hall of Fame recently, was a former Joe Gibbs Racing driver for the last two years of his NASCAR Cup Series career.
Hamlin broke the news on X with a caption:
Trending
"Darlington throwback 🤝 Carl Edwards."
At the time of writing, the X post has already garnered nearly 156K views, 5.6K likes and 488 retweets.
Each year at Darlington, NASCAR holds a tradition in which current teams use a paint scheme honoring past legends. The Goodyear 400 becomes a witness to drivers using designs based on iconic liveries and historic moments, bringing nostalgia to the 1.366-mile oval. Hamlin will feature a design reminiscent of Carl Edward's iconic #99 Ford Fusion this year.
Edwards is a beloved figure in NASCAR. His sudden retirement in 2016 shocked racing fans around the world as he finished the season in the Championship 4. Edwards has won a total of 28 races in the Cup Series and was a two-time runner-up. Hamlin's decision serves as a nod to the legacy left behind by the 2025 class NASCAR Hall of Famer.
Carl Edwards reflects on Denny Hamlin's talent
Carl Edwards recently showed admiration for his former teammate Denny Hamlin and wished he had had a better relationship with him during his career. Edwards praised the #11 veteran for his versatality and talent. Speaking in the Dale Jr. Download Podcast, he said (41:05 onwards):
"Denny is so good. It blew my mind, the things that he could do in the car. And I always wanted to talk to Denny more. I wanted to understand how he thought... I probably didn't try enough, but I wanted to know what goes through his mind. How is he so good at all these different types of racing all the time?"
They raced together in Joe Gibbs Racing for two seasons in 2015 and 2016. Both drivers pushed each other to finish in the top 10 in both seasons. Edwards also talked about Hamlin's adaptability on all types of tracks, including superspeedways, short tracks and road courses, in the interview.
Despite winning 54 races in his Cup Series career, Denny Hamlin has yet to win a title. This year, he has had a promising start with three top ten finishes so far and currently stands eighth in the 2025 Cup standings with 164 points. He will hope that Edward's paint scheme will bring him luck and momentum this season.
