Denny Hamlin's father Dennis recalls getting a cigar from Michael Jordan with a custom letter on when to use it

Three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin is still trying to win the NASCAR Cup Series championship.

In 2020, Hamlin joined forces with NBA celebrity Michael Jordan to form a new Cup Series team, 23XI Racing. This partnership welcomed Jordan to stock car racing but also served to start a new chapter for Hamlin, who became co-owner.

Dennis Hamlin, the father of the No. 11 Toyota driver, has shared a heartwarming story about an exclusive gift from NBA legend Michael Jordan.

In a candid moment captured in Netflix's "NASCAR: Full Speed," Hamlin remembered the day Jordan gave him a cigar, personally signed with an accompanying custom letter. Hamlin recalled:

"He pulls up in his Lamborghini, and he reaches down in his side door, pulls out this cigar."

"Michael Jordan signed it for me and wrote a little letter (that) says, 'Break it when we in the championship.' I’m supposed to break that and smoke that cigar. That’s what I’m going to do."

The symbolic act shows unity and friendship in the team of 23XI Racing, as they aim to be successful both on and off the track.

Even though he is one of the owners of the Cup Series team, Hamlin is still a strong driver at Joe Gibbs Racing, racing on the track against 23XI Racing's drivers, Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick.

Again, in the 2024 season, Denny Hamlin's pursuit of the NASCAR championship continues.

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Denny Hamlin shares his approach to racing at the Daytona 500

Considering that Denny Hamlin is one of the top drivers in the NASCAR Cup series with 51 race wins, and having won three Daytona 500 races, his attitude toward the iconic race deserves to be closely examined.

In a SiriusXM NASCAR Radio interview, the 43-year-old driver talked about his perspective on the Daytona 500. Revealing his racing philosophy, Denny Hamlin suggested that drivers should perceive the race in a new manner. He said:

"I think aggression wins more than patience. You just got to treat this race a little bit differently in the sense of that.While you want to be patient, in NextGen racing on superspeedways, you can't give up the track position like you used to."

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver admitted that calculated risks often lead to success on the day of the race.

"So you have to be aggressive and that's going to put you in danger most of the times but someone always makes it through. You just got to be the one who makes it through," Denny Hamlin said.