NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin recently shared a high school experience with fans that showed a vulnerable side of him. Hamlin, who drives the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, is considered one of the top drivers in the Cup Series and has a total of 54 wins to his name.
In a recent interview, he shared a tough memory from high school. When asked about his worst dates, Hamlin talked about a painful experience at his sophomore prom.
“There was a girl that I really wanted to take and I kind of kept pressing her and she just kind of kept putting it off,” he said.
“Finally, I got her to give in, so we went there anyway and you could just tell she really wasn’t that interested.”
Hamlin shared that things got worse at the end of the night when he saw the girl dancing with his best friend:
“Then it gets down to the end of the night….I see her and she’s with my best friend and she was dancing with him and I say, ‘Hey, what’s up?’… she’s like, ‘Well, I’ll be honest with you. I really wanted him to ask me to prom, but he didn’t, so I just went with you.’”
Regardless, things worked out well for Denny Hamlin, who is currently engaged to his long-time girlfriend Jordan Fish and has two young daughters with her.
“Stop Complaining” – Denny Hamlin stands up for NASCAR’s qualifying system
In a recent episode of his podcast, “Actions Detrimental,” Denny Hamlin defended the group qualifying system. He told fans to stop criticizing it, saying:
“This is the most fair way to do it. Stop complaining. If your driver didn’t do well this week, remember they benefited from it last week. You didn’t complain then.”
In his opinion, the current NASCAR system which divides drivers into two groups is fair. He admitted the system looks confusing on TV and suggested a fix.
“I think the only way they can make it maybe different, is the A should be on the outside, and the B on the inside, because it would look better on a graphic on TV. Because right now, like, the fast qualifier of A, is always on the pole position, so he’s on this column, and all the rest of the A are on this column,” he said.
“Sometimes your favorite driver will get a better spot, but it balances out in the end,” he added.
