“I’m very open”: When Denny Hamlin set the record straight on his personality

It's hard to imagine NASCAR without Denny Hamlin in it. With 57 career Cup Series wins and three Daytona 500 victories, the driver of the #11 has solidified himself as one of the most prolific drivers in the history of the sport.

But back in 2012, the Joe Gibbs Racing star pondered what his life would be like without racing. In a Q&A with racing insider Jeff Gluck, the Tampa, Florida native was asked who he would be without racing. While Hamlin conceded that he's "moody," he set the record straight on who he is as a person. When Hamlin is out with friends and family, he's an outgoing person. That's contrary to what he believes some think of him, such as cocky.

Here's what Denny Hamlin was quoted saying, via SB Nation:

"I'd say I'm moody, I'd say I'm temperamental. But within my certain group of friends and family, I'm very open and outgoing and joke around a lot. What people don't realize is they mistake my shyness for cockiness most of the time."

When asked why he's a moody person, Hamlin explained it's all about his performance on the racetrack. When his results aren't up to his standard, Hamlin said his personality is the same way.

"I just constantly judge myself based off my performance. When performance isn't good, I let it bring everything down," Hamlin had said.

Denny Hamlin is in his 20th full-time season of NASCAR Cup Series racing, where he's spent every season behind the wheel of the #11 JGR machine. Hamlin has yet to win a Cup Series title despite having four appearances in the Championship 4 race. The co-owner of 23XI Racing also finished runner-up in the series in 2010.

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Denny Hamlin weighed in on Ty Dillon's Sonoma bump-and-run: "Great execution"

On the final lap of Sunday's race at Sonoma, Ty Dillon put the bumper to Alex Bowman to surge ahead and advance to the next round in the first-ever NASCAR In-Season Challenge. The aggressive last-lap move received praise from Denny Hamlin, who called it "great execution" on Dillon's part.

Steven Taranto, a racing insider, gathered Hamlin's thoughts on the move from a recent episode of the driver's podcast "Actions Detrimental." Here's what Hamlin said (via Taranto on X):

"Denny Hamlin said on Actions Detrimental that he mentioned something to his crew over the radio when Ty Dillon's bump-and-run on Alex Bowman happened. Went back and found it and Hamlin clearly enjoyed the show in front of him. Said today it was "great execution" on Ty's part."

Denny Hamlin has posted three victories in the 2025 season (Martinsville, Darlington, and Michigan). The driver of the #11 sits fifth in the Cup Series points standings with nine top-five finishes.