Denny Hamlin admits he ‘hated’ Dale Earnhardt and reveals the driver he admired

Denny Hamlin recently shared an early memory of him watching the 1998 Daytona 500. That was the year Earnhardt Sr. finally broke through after years of near misses. In a NASCAR YouTube video, he spoke about the moment that completely changed how he saw the racing legend.

The 1998 Daytona 500 was one of the most memorable moments in NASCAR history. Earnhardt finally crossed the finish line first after coming close many times before, only to fall short through accidents and bad luck. When asked about his early influences, Denny Hamlin confessed,

“I hated Dale Earnhardt.” [6:57 onwards]

Hamlin explained that as a young fan, he rooted for Bill Elliott. However, that changed with Earnhardt's win. He added,

“I was a Bill Elliott guy,”

“But I recognized that moment for him and how significant that moment was for him, and I became a fan of his for that day.”

Hamlin further said, “I clearly knew he was capable. He just got unlucky and didn’t win it a bunch of times. He finally got what he deserved.”

While Hamlin did not exclusively make a mention of the 1998 race, that was the year Dale Earnhardt had his first win at Daytona. He did so after making 20 attempts. In 1990 and 1991, Earnhardt came close to winning but couldn't make it. The now 44-year-old driver and Earnhardt fan was about 18 back in 1998.

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Denny Hamlin celebrates his 60th Cup Series win and looks ahead to Phoenix

Denny Hamlin made headlines again after his latest win at the South Point 400 in Las Vegas on October 12. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver won his 60th NASCAR Cup Series race. He also confirmed his spot in the Championship 4 race in Phoenix.

The win was the result of a late-race surge. Hamlin used fresh tires to overtake Kyle Larson and Chase Briscoe for the lead. This is not merely a win but also a huge milestone for Hamlin, who is now 10th on NASCAR’s all-time win list. He's tied with Kevin Harvick for that record.

Hamlin sat down with Shannon Spake for The Day After interview, where he shared details about his extended celebration.

“I knew my friends were going to ask me, ‘Are we staying? Are we going home? What are we doing?’” he said. “And so I’m like, ‘Okay. I mean, if you can’t celebrate this one, you’ll never celebrate.’ So, I did. We stayed. I stayed up, I think it was 42 hours straight. So I am just now getting somewhat back to normal... It was fun.”

However, even with a considerable amount of wins under his belt, Denny Hamlin has not won a Cup Series championship. Now, with his place in the Championship 4 locked in, Hamlin has another chance to end that dry streak.

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