“We had to sell off a lot of assets”: Denny Hamlin expresses gratitude to his parents and funding his NASCAR dream

NASCAR veteran Denny Hamlin has expressed gratitude to his parents Dennis and Mary Lou for their support in pursuing his NASCAR career. He credits their encouragement and backing in helping him chase his dreams in NASCAR.

In an interview with Kyle Petty, the three-time Daytona 500 winner has spoken about the financial challenges he faced while climbing the ranks in racing and acknowledged the significant role his parents played in funding his early career.

He recalled significant sacrifices his parents made to fund his racing endeavors, explaining that they had to sell off assets to afford essentials like race tires and fuel.

Expressing gratitude to his parents sacrifices and funding to his NASCAR dream, Denny Hamlin said:

“It's really a combination between my two parents. I would say that, you know, my dad was the tough side and my mom was the little bit of the softer side, but they both made a lot of struggles and sacrifices to keep funding my racing. I mean, we had to sell off a lot of assets to buy race tires and race fuel and stuff like that.”

“We grew up watching NASCAR racing. When I was a kid, every time they came into town to Richmond, we had season tickets. And my parents knew that I loved, you know, we just kept fighting until the right opportunity came about,” he added.

Hamlin’s parents’ belief in his talent and dedication made it possible for him to reach the professional level in NASCAR.

The #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driver is a highly successful NASCAR driver and has achieved numerous victories in his 18-year-long career, winning multiple races including prestigious events like the Daytona 500, Southern 500, and Coca-Cola 600.

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Denny Hamlin reveals the biggest influence on his racing career

Joe Gibbs Racing driver acknowledged the significant influence of his father’s work ethic on his own approach to interacting with people. He emphasized the importance of dedication and commitment, drawing parallels between a strong work ethic and how one treats others.

About his father’s influence on his racing career, Denny Hamlin said:

“Yeah, a huge influence. And, I mean, I think that his work ethic, and no matter what the store hours say on the door, it doesn't matter. You don't leave till the last customer is gone. I think that was something that installs in me kind of how I treat people in general.”