Watch: Denny Hamlin gets creative with his ‘Bristol sword’ for a humorous cooking show

NASCAR star Denny Hamlin turned heads once again, this time not on the track but in the kitchen. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver starred in a light-hearted Instagram video where he used the famed “Bristol Gladiotor sword” to chop vegetables for his homemade salad.

The clip was posted from the JGR facility three hours ago and has already gained traction among NASCAR fans. Dressed in his purple-and-white FedEx firesuit with a black apron, Hamlin is slamming down the sword on lettuce, cucumbers and other vegetables for the salad preparation.

Joe Gibbs Racing and Denny Hamlin posted the hilarious video captioned:

"Welcome to the DH cooking show! Today's recipe is a salad... with the Bristol Sword! 🗡️"

The dramatic sword chops in the video were Hamlin's attempt to make a salad without a regular kitchen knife. This unconventional culinary choice holds significance because it resembles the iconic Bristol Motor Speedway Gladiotor sword trophy.

The veteran NASCAR driver wore a black apron that read "Your opinion wasn’t in the recipe" as a dig on his followers. The video quickly drew laughs online, especially from Hamlin’s wife, Jordan Fish, who didn’t hold back in the comments. Responding to the absurd visual of her husband channeling his inner chef with a race trophy, she wrote:

“Dear god woman.”

Denny Hamlin in the kitchen show segment with his Bristol sword and full race gear (Image via @joegibbsracing/Instagram).

Fish, a fashion entrepreneur and long-time presence during Hamlin’s Cup career, has often posted on Instagram about the racer's off-track antics. This shows fans a different side of Hamlin, different from the competitive streak he is usually known for on the racetracks.

The #11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver has one of the best finishing averages at Bristol and will aim to complete his three-peat at the short track. Hamlin is coming off two consecutive wins at Martinsville and Darlington and looks to continue his form at the concrete bullring next Sunday (April 13).

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"It was really cool": Denny Hamlin enjoyed the Martinsville Grandfather Clock trophy

While the North Wilkesboro sword is next on the line at Bristol, Denny Hamlin’s recent trip to Martinsville offered its own powerful prize. The JGR veteran won his sixth Ridgeway Grandfather Clock at the short track and opened up about his love for traditional trophies in his Actions Detrimental with Denny Hamlin podcast.

"I am such a fan of old school, silver, wood and gold (trophies). The combination as a trophy is just fantastic... It just kind of depends on the track, but like Martinsville, you don't actually get a trophy. You just get the clock. Hopefully, whoever goes in your house knows that that's a trophy and not that you inherited it from your great-grandmother... It was really cool to see that in victory lane. I loved it." (01:23 onwards)

Hamlin also revealed how a late-race yellow flag pit stop led him to win the Goodyear 400. Kyle Larson spun with four laps left, bringing out a caution that triggered pit stops. Hamlin was third at the time when he entered the pit stop, with Tyler Reddick and Ryan Blaney in the lead.

JGR's #11 pit crew had the fastest pit stop of the day as Hamlin emerged ahead of leaders and held on to the lead in an overtime finish as he took home his fifth chequered flag at Darlington.