Denny Hamlin has officially begun his challenge for a maiden Cup Series championship. Last weekend, he triumphed at Martinsville to pick up his first win of the season. Then, at the Track Too Tough to Tame, he followed up with a second consecutive win, cementing his Playoff berth. In other words, the hope is still alive for the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing star to finally get the monkey off his back.
But Hamlin’s win at Darlington was special as he managed to park the No. 11 Sports Clip Camry, painted in black and red, in the victory lane. It was a throwback scheme paying homage to former JGR driver Carl Edwards from his time running with Roush Fenway Racing. While there has been a debate about the significance and relevance of the throwback weekend, Hamlin and the #11 team opted to partake in the celebrations. If anything, the Office Depot paint scheme proved lucky for Hamlin and arguably was one of the best schemes of the weekend.
Now, we all know that Edwards is well-known for his backflips after winning races. And as Hamlin hopped out of his car at the start finish line, he was asked if he could do a flip like his former teammate. But he respectfully refused to make a fool out of himself. Well, Edwards knew that Hamlin would be requested to throw on the theatrics in case he won the race at Darlington.
Recalling the pre-race conference Hamlin had with Carl Edwards, he stated, “I think he said, ‘Don’t win this race. They might make you do a backflip.’ I said, ‘There’s no chance! I wouldn’t make it.’ I probably would break the back of my head because I wouldn’t even get a full 180 flip. He’s more athletic than I am in that sense. I just told him that it was an honor to carry the scheme.”
It was a momentous occasion for Denny Hamlin as he edged past Rusty Wallace with his 56th career win. He now stands 11th in the all-time wins list and is closing the gap on Kyle Busch in the ninth spot. The veteran JGR driver once shared the JGR race shop with Edwards, but surprisingly, he wasn’t exactly on talking terms or friends with him back then.
Truthfully, me and Carl probably talk more now, or have talked more now that he’s out of the sport and we’re no longer teammates. This has been my relationship with most of my teammates, the relationship grows after they’re gone. Getting to know Carl, we’re so blessed to have him coming back to the sport in the TV role. I’ve just had some great conversations with him and I loved the scheme. It was just one that I raced against, one that I got beat by a lot. Carl is certainly someone that you look up to.”
What Carl Edwards told Denny Hamlin before the racde and why Hamlin didn’t do a backflip after his victory despite having an Edwards tribute scheme .@NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/qmfBggvADG
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) April 7, 2025
Although cousin Carl isn’t getting back in the race car, the fans will be able to enjoy his involvement through broadcast partners. The Hall of Famer has joined Dale Jr., Steve Letarte and Corey LaJoie at the Amazon Prime broadcast booth. His expert opinions and knowledge about the sport will see him serve as the analyst, explaining the fine details through pre and post race studio shows.
However, apart from Edwards, Hamlin also thanked one of his arch-rivals, Kyle Larson, for helping him snag another Cup win at Darlington Raceway. Had it not been for Larson, Ryan Blaney was a clear favorite to make a huge turnaround after three back-to-back DNFs.
Denny Hamlin tips his hat to Kyle Larson and the #11 pit crew
Those who watched the entirety of the Goodyear 400 race know that Hamlin wasn’t a real contender until the final stage of the race. William Byron toyed with everyone, leading 243 laps and winning stages 1 and 2. But, the No. 11 car sparked into action after Brad Keselowski brought out the caution and this is where Hamlin came into the picture.
After the pit cycle, the battle for the win was between Tyler Reddick and Ryan Blaney. And the Penske driver did make the pass on the #45 car and it looked as if he was on his way to victory. But with 4 laps to go, Kyle Larson spun around the racetrack after contact with Bubba Wallace and set up an overtime finish. All the leaders headed into the pits to get fresh Goodyear rubber, and this is where Hamlin’s #11 crew pulled off a clutch performance.
From third place to the leading the field, Hamlin won the race off the pit road. And he was almost untouchable in he last two lap shootouts. As he hopped out of his race car for the post-race interview, he knew that this win was a lucky break and that it wouldn’t be possible without his pit crew. “There’s two people I really love right now: my pit crew and Kyle Larson. Had a little assist there, so thank you.”
With two wins in the bag to start the 2025 campaign, Denny Hamlin and Chris Gayle are proving to be a real threat to the competition. Who knows, this might finally be the year where Hamlin completes his NASCAR story by winning the championship.
The post “Don’t Win”: Denny Hamlin Handed Sly Warning by Carl Edwards as NASCAR Winner Serves the Best Tribute appeared first on EssentiallySports.