Denny Hamlin Biography

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Biography
Dennis "Denny" Hamlin, Jr. is a race car driver currently contracted to Joe Gibbs Racing. He was born on November 18, 1980 in Tampa, Fla. and currently lives in Davidson, N.C.

Racing prior to NASCAR

Hamlin began his racing career in 1988, at the age of 7 years old, racing go-karts. By 1997 at 15 he won the WKA manufacturers cup at the age of 16, he was racing Ministocks. In his first stock car race, at Langley Speedway, Hamlin won the pole position, and won the race. He then progressed to the Grand Stock division in 1998, and moved on to Late Model Stock Cars in 2000. In 2002, he won ten Late Model races, and surpassed that in 2003 with 25 wins, and 30 poles, out of 36 races. In 2004, while competing full time in Late Model Stock Cars, Hamlin was signed to a driver development contract with Joe Gibbs Racing.

2004-2006

In 2004, Hamlin competed in five NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) races with EJP Racing, and had a tenth-place finish in his NASCAR debut at Indianapolis Raceway Park. He later ran his first career ARCA RE/MAX Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, finishing third in the #10 Pontiac owned by Andy Hillenburg. His final start of the year came at Darlington Raceway, when he made his Busch Series debut. He qualified twenty-seventh but finished eighth in the #18 Joe Gibbs Driven Performance Oil Chevy.

Hamlin ran the full season in 2005 after he replaced Mike Bliss in the #20 Rockwell Automation Chevrolet in the Busch Series. He ended up finishing 5th in the final championship points standings as a rookie in that series, with 11 top 10's and earnings of $1,064,110.00. Hamlin also ran his first Nextel Cup Series races in 2005, making his Cup debut at Kansas Speedway as driver of the #11 FedEx Chevrolet for the 2006 season, after Jason Leffler was released, and made seven starts in in the Cup series in 2005. He finished the Cup season with three top 10 finishes in those seven starts and one pole at Phoenix International Raceway.

In 2006, Hamlin ran his first full season in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, and during the year he drove in both the Nextel Cup and Busch Series full-time. In Hamlin's first restrictor plate race as a Nextel Cup driver, he beat all the previous year's (2005 season) pole winners in the 70-lap 2006 Budweiser Shootout. Hamlin became the first Rookie of the Year candidate to take home the Shootout victory. Hamlin achieved his first career Busch Series victory at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez (March 5). On June 11, Hamlin scored his first career Cup Series win at the Pocono 500, where he also won his second career pole. He achieved his second career win on July 23, in the Pennsylvania 500 also at Pocono Raceway becoming only the 2nd rookie in Nextel Cup history to sweep both races at a track during the same season (Jimmie Johnson did so at Dover International Speedway in his rookie season in 2002), both from the pole position. In the Cup Series, Hamlin won the Raybestos Rookie of the Year award and finished third in the final Cup standings, scoring the highest points finish for a rookie in the modern era of NASCAR. Hamlin thus became the first ever rookie to make the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup.

2007-present

Denny Hamlin practicing for the 2007 Ford 400 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. Hamlin started the 2007 Cup season by finishing 28th in the Daytona 500. He won his third career cup race at the Lenox Industrial Tools 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway. Hamlin clinched a spot in the Chase for the Cup and was seeded sixth, 50 points behind the leader, but finished 12th overall in the final standings. In the Nationwide Series, Hamlin scored three victories including Darlington, Michigan, and Dover in the #20 Rockwell Automation Chevy.

In 2008, Hamlin had a near identical season as before, but moved up to eighth in points, and won early in the season at Martinsville Speedway. He led 381 out of 410 laps at in the 2008 Crown Royal Presents the Dan Lowry 400, the most dominant effort of a driver since 2000. but cut a tire and finished 24th. He won three races in the Nationwide Series, driving both the #18 and #20 entries for Gibbs, as well as the #32 Dollar General/Haas Avocados car for Braun Racing.

He continued driving the #11 car in Sprint Cup in 2009, as well as sharing the #20 car for Gibbs in the Nationwide Series. Hamlin won his fifth career race at Pocono on August 3, 2009. Hamlin boldly stated at the final restart "I'm going to win this race." He followed through on the statement, moving from sixth to first and snapping a 50 race win-less streak. The win was Hamlin's third at the Pocono tri-oval. It was especially emotional for the #11 team as Hamlin had lost his grandmother, Thelma Clark, that Friday.

Hamlin once again dominated the race at Richmond and finally won at his home track. On October 25, 2009 Hamlin held off Jimmie Johnson to win the Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville. Hamlin guaranteed that he would win this race after he came in 2nd in the spring race.

Hamlin then went on to win the Ford 400 at the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, capping off his 2009 season 5th in the overall standings with 4 wins, 15 top 5's and 20 top 10's. Hamlin took the lead after starting the race in 38th position and he led a total of 70 laps to capture his 4th win of the 2009 season.

After the 2009 season ended, Hamlin had surgical repair to the meniscus of this right knee, which was done on December 16. On 22 January 2010, Hamlin tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while playing pickup basketball. With the 2010 NASCAR season only two weeks hence, surgery to repair the injury is being postponed until after the season ends. The injury will not affect Hamlin's ability to compete in NASCAR,[3] but Casey Mears was on standby to relieve Hamlin if needed; Hamlin ran the entire race for those two events.

On March 29, 2010, Hamlin won a wild finish at the Monday race at Martinsville, beating his JGR teammate Joey Logano and Jeff Gordon.

On March 30, 2010, Hamlin decided to have knee surgery early to repair the torn ligament. The team said he'll be ready to drive at the next race on April 10. On April 19, 2010, just 3 weeks after his surgery, Hamlin worked his way from a 28th starting spot to restart 2nd with 13 laps to go at Texas Motor Speedway. Hamlin was later able to pass Jeff Burton on the outside and hold off Jimmie Johnson to get his 10th career win and his second win in 3 races. Hamlin now has 2 wins in the Nascar Sprint Cup 2010 season. Less then 3 weeks later, Hamlin got another win at Darlington Superspeedway. He sweept the weekend winning both the Cup and Nationwide series events, the first driver to do so at Darlington since Mark Martin in 1993. He won Friday night's Nationwide Series Royal Purple 200 driving the #20 for Joe Gibbs Racing. He started on the pole and led the most laps to win the race. Hamlin Started 8th in Saturday night's Showtime Southern 500 and went on to lead 108 laps and captured his 3rd win of the 2010 season. In winning at Darlington, he won $250,000 for a charity of his choice though the Direct T.V. Head To Head Knockout Competition. He has been described by many as the threat to end Jimmie Johnson's championship streak.

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Denny Hamlin Driver Timeline

2004

Hamlin driving in car #99, Competing in NCTS in #03 EJP Racing Chevrolet Truck

• By July had 10 wins in LMSC Competition
• Won races at four different tracks (South Boston, Hickory, Greenville Pickens, & Southampton Motor Speedway)
• Broke Qualifying Track Record Greenville Pickens
• Competed in First ever NCTS Event at O'Reilly Raceway Park, August 6, 2004
• Qualified 7th and finished 10th at ORP
• Scheduled to run Richmond International Raceway, California, Las Vegas and New Hampshire NCTS Events with EJP Racing
• Competed in first ever NASCAR Busch Series event at Darlington Raceway November 13, 2004, Bi-Lo 200.
• Started 27th (Quals Rained Out), Finished 8th in #18 Joe Gibbs Performance Racing Oil Chevrolet Monte Carlo

2003

Hamlin drove in car #99

• Finished Season with 25 Wins, 30 Poles and 33 Top 5's
• Won races at five different tracks (South Boston, Hickory, Southampton, Southern National and Coastal Plains)
• Won Southern National Speedway Track Championship
• Only Driver in Southampton Motor Speedway History to win four consecutive 200 lap races
• Won pole for Martinsville Speedway's "Taco Bell 300"
• Had sixth highest NASCAR CPI rating in Nation

2002

Hamlin Finished Season with 10 Wins, 15 Poles and 5 Top 10's at Southampton Motor Speedway and Southern National Speedway

• Opened season with a Pole on his first effort at Southampton
• Won Poles at Myrtle Beach and Southampton Fall races

2001

Second Season in NASCAR Weekly Racing Series Late Model Stock Cars

• Had a very successful run at Southampton Motor Speedway with five Top 5 finishes.
• Debuted a new car and drove to 2 consecutive Top 5 finishes at Southampton and Southside Speedway.
• Lead most laps of the Southern National Speedway Invitational race.

2000

Rookie for the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series Late Model Stock Car Division

• Won Rookie of the Year at Southside Speedway in Richmond, VA.
• Finished Top 5 in final point standings at Southside Speedway with 18 top 10 and 11 top 5 runs.

1999

Second Season in NASCAR Grand Stock Division

• Second in track point standings at Southside Speedway
• Out of 25 Races, earned 5 Feature Wins, 17 Top-Fives and 21 Top Tens
• Won award for Most Popular Driver in Division

1998

First Season in NASCAR Grand Stock Division

• Competed at Three Virginia Tracks
• Out of 25 Races, earned 3 Top Five's and 17 Top Tens

1997

First Season Driving a Stock Car, Age 16, Mini Stock

• 1997 NASCAR Mini Stock Rookie of the Year at Southside and Langley Speedways
• Youngest driver to win NASCAR Mini Stock track championship at Langley Speedway

Langley Speedway Track Champion, NASCAR Mini Stock

• Holds NASCAR Mini Stock track Record at 18.025
• Out of 24 Races, earned 7 Poles, 6 Feature Wins and 21 Top Five's

Southside Speedway Track Champion, NASCAR Limited Dash

• Out of 10 Races, earned 4 Poles, 5 Feature Wins and 10 Top Five's

1995

Competed in 3 classes

• Junior Champ

- Virginia Dirt Karting Association, State Champion - World Karting Association Virginia Dirt Series, State Champion

• Junior Stock

- Virginia Dirt Karting Association, 3rd in points - World Karting Association Briggs and Stratton/Burris Dirt Nationals, 4th in nation

• Junior Restricted

- Virginia Dirt Karting Association, 4th in points

1994

Junior Restricted

• Amelia Motor Raceway, Track Champion

Junior Stock

• Amelia Motor Raceway, Track Champion

1993

Junior Restricted

• Amelia Motor Raceway, 5th in points

1992

Junior Sportsman

• Southside Speedway, Track Champion

1988-1991

Junior Sportsman

• Won FIRST race run at age 7

Source: Wikipedia (GNU)

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Sprint Cup Career Statistics