"We risked a lot as a family": Denny Hamlin gets 100% real about his parents' sacrifices for NASCAR dream

Denny Hamlin’s NASCAR journey wasn't just the result of his natural talent but was built on the foundation of sacrifice. The veteran driver recently opened up about the financial strain and emotional weight carried by his parents to keep his early racing ambitions alive.

The three-time Daytona 500 winner acknowledged that unlike traditional sports, motorsports demanded relentless financial backing. It was something his middle-class family could scarcely afford. Speaking on a recent episode of the On Track with Annie podcast, Hamlin talked about the true cost of early racing, highlighting how inaccessible the sport can be for working-class families.

The Joe Gibbs racing driver said:

"The biggest hurdle that most young kids will find when they get into motorsports is that it costs money...You have to buy a car and the tires and the fuel and the engine when it blows or you crash—you gotta keep fixing it. So it takes a lot of funding." (4:19 onwards)

He added how his parents helped him:

"And the challenges we had when I was growing up was, my parents had very normal jobs. My dad worked at Great Dane Tractor Trailers, my mom worked at AAA Travel, and they could only take me so far in the racing world. And so it was more me pushing them to keep me going. We risked a lot as a family."

Hamlin's family mortgaged their house to keep him in the seat. His father, Dennis Hamlin, worked long hours while still managing to be his mechanic, crew chief, and number-one supporter. His mother, Mary Lou Clark, juggled finances and travel planning while continuing her full-time job. It was a full family effort, held together by belief and sheer will for the Hamlin family.

Denny Hamlin with his mother Mary Lou in victory lane on May 8, 2010, at Darlington. Source: Getty

When Denny Hamlin moved into Late Model racing, the gamble began to pay off. He racked up wins in the Carolinas and Virginia, including a dominant stretch in the 2003 Late Model series, which caught the eye of a NASCAR Hall of Famer.

"I won 25 out of 35 races. And at that point, that caught the eye of Joe Gibbs racing, who I race for today." (7:05 onwards)

Joe Gibbs’s attention changed everything. By 2004, Hamlin was running full-time in what is now the Xfinity Series, and within a year, he was in the Cup Series. Currently, he has raced for over two decades for Joe Gibbs Racing, with 56 Cup wins and 18 Xfinity wins.

Denny Hamlin on feeling unsafe in a passenger car

Now a father of two daughters with longtime partner Jordan Fish, Denny Hamlin admits his relationship with racing has evolved. While the 44-year-old is still chasing wins, he has also become more mindful, especially on the road.

"so, I have kids, so typically for me, that is my one time where I am by myself. And, I usually take as long as I can to get from point A to point B. I am a slow driver...When I'm outside of it (tracks), I actually feel unsafe in a passenger car versus when I get into a race car. It's very counterintuitive, but it's the same kind of thing." (18:32 onwards)

Despite slowing down off-track, Hamlin remains a potent force in NASCAR. Fresh off back-to-back wins at Martinsville and Darlington, the veteran is very much in the hunt in 2025. The Joe Gibbs Racing #11 remains the driver with the most wins in NASCAR history yet to win the Cup Series, and he is hopeful to change that this season.