What does a NASCAR Sprint Cup driver do on his weekend off? Play golf or take his boat out on the lake? Not Denny Hamlin, the Fed Ex sponsored #11 driver for Joe Gibbs racing; he comes to Shelor Motor Mile in Radford for some short track night racing.
Hamlin is an up-and-coming star in the top NASCAR series, which he joined full time in 2006. His first year in Cup he was voted “Rookie of the Year” and qualified to be in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, as he has every year since then. Hailing from Chesterfield, VA, Hamlin turns 28 this fall. He’s amassed four victories in the Cup series, and nine in the Nationwide series, and reports rooting for Virginia Tech football and the Washington Redskins.
Before the start of the race, Hamlin was found underneath his race car, tweaking the rear end and changing out some gears. Hamlin and his Late Model crew built the car themselves, just for short track racing. Apparently, Hamlin does not mind getting grease under his nails if it makes his car better. He is not allowed to work on his cars at the Gibbs shop because he is “too valuable as a driver.”
Hamlin was here at the request of friend Phillip Morris, the points leader at Motor Mile in the Late Model Stock division. Morris is a local favorite and has known Hamlin for two years. Morris finally convinced Hamlin to come back to the track he last visited in 2004, before he became a NASCAR Nationwide driver.
When he reminded him that he had only won the last one of the three races, Hamlin said, “Yeah, I only won the last one, but I have gotten a lot better since then.”
Hamlin was driving the #99 car under Morris’s sponsor, Clarence’s Steakhouse, for the event he won.
After setting up his car, Hamlin cleaned up and went up onto the sponsor balcony above the grandstands. As soon as he was spotted, a hat was thrown up for him to sign, then another, then another, then a T-shirt, a coat, a program, and so on. Hamlin obliged everyone who tossed him something and stood on the balcony for over an hour talking to fans and giving away autographs.
When it was race time, Hamlin was “all business.” Qualifying fourth for the 150-lap race, as soon as the green flag waved, he challenged for the lead. The race featured some side by side racing with Chad Harris and a few cautions flags were thrown for wrecks.
In the end, Hamlin was fifth and Frank Dieny Jr. came out on top. When Dieny was interviewed after the race he said, “Maybe Denny can come back again and race one of my cars.”
That depends on what Hamlin has planned for his next weekend off.
By Carla M. Bream [email protected]
