The scorching Martinsville sun beat down as Denny Hamlin stood triumphantly atop his No. 11 Toyota, waving an “11 Against the World” flag after dominating the Cook Out 400. But something was different this time. The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran, notorious for his “I beat your favorite driver” taunt and embracing his villain role, found himself caught off-guard by an unexpected shift. “It feels like that’s also kind of dead now,” Hamlin admitted during a conversation with Jared Allen. “I feel like the fans cheered more than they did [boo].” The man who built a career wielding fans’ animosity as motivation suddenly faced an identity crisis – what happens when NASCAR’s self-proclaimed villain starts getting cheered?
For years, Hamlin has leaned into his antagonist role, particularly after incidents with fan favorites Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson in 2023. His deliberate taunting of detractors became part of his brand. But as his flag fluttered above the Martinsville crowd following his 55th career victory, breaking a 31-race winless streak, the 44-year-old driver noticed a subtle but significant shift in the grandstands’ reaction.
“I don’t think the Fox guys knew kind of where I thought,” Hamlin explained, recounting how a fan handed him the flag before the race. The inspiration traced back to his Ohio State fan friends and their “Ohio Against the World” mantra, which Hamlin and his circle carried to college football games. The flag became their identity – “when we didn’t have the flag,” Hamlin told Charlie Felt, “I felt naked without this flag.”
What makes the story particularly compelling is the flag’s source. “The guy says, ‘Hey, by the way, it pains me to give you this because I’m a Penn State fan,’” Hamlin recounted. Despite the college football rivalry, the NASCAR fan gifted Hamlin the flag that would become central to his victory celebration after one of the most dominant performances of his career.
Hamlin’s Martinsville masterclass was indeed worth celebrating. He surged to win Stage 2 and ultimately led 274 of the final laps. The victory marked his sixth grandfather clock trophy, coming from the paperclip-shaped track and tied him with Rusty Wallace for 11th on NASCAR’s all-time win list with 55 victories. Poetically, Wallace also earned his 55th career win at Martinsville during the 2004 spring race. Despite the shift in fan sentiment, the JGR driver was itching to silence the few boos with the infamous line. This is where the new flag and the tagline came in handy.
“But that’s what makes me so excited,” Hamlin continued, reflecting on the fan reaction. “It was a lot of boos in pre-race during the intros, but like, what do you got to boo now? I just beat your favorite driver again.” The veteran driver confessed it “killed me not to say it,” referring to his infamous taunt. This restraint signals a potential evolution in Hamlin’s NASCAR persona – raising questions about whether NASCAR’s heel is experiencing a face turn.
Denny Hamlin
Hamlin’s journey from fresh-faced rookie to controversial veteran spans nearly two decades. Since his full-time Cup debut with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2006, he’s embraced confrontation and used external doubt as fuel. He does it because it fuels him from the inside. He loves it when someone says he can’t do it, and he goes out there and does it. Hamlin might not be the most talented race car driver, but he sure can beat your favorite one on Sundays.
The shift in fan reception was quantifiable. “Yesterday after the race was like light boos,” Allen observed during their conversation. “I would say it was 40% boos, 60% cheer, which is like a huge balance based on what I’ve seen in the past.” This represents a significant change for a driver whose race introductions typically trigger recognizable jeers, regardless of venue.
As Hamlin carries his “11 Against the World” flag forward – the same one his father instructed him to “bring me the flag and sign it and put 55th win on there” – he faces an interesting identity crossroads. Can NASCAR’s self-styled villain maintain his edge if the world isn’t entirely against him any more? With the JGR driver now achieving milestones that place him among the sport’s all-time greats, perhaps fans are recognizing that Hamlin’s competitive fire and willingness to embrace the villain role has enriched NASCAR’s storylines all along.
Denny Hamlin is banking on his hard work to settle unfinished NASCAR business
At 44, Hamlin is the oldest NASCAR Cup Series driver still competing for wins. Compare him with the likes of Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski, he still has the edge. Rowdy was winless the entirety of 2024, and Keselowski has been struggling in mid-pack ever since the start of the 2025 season. While Hamlin hasn’t reached the championship race in the Next Gen era, he is still competitive. He is the only veteran driver holding his own against talents like Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, and Chase Elliott.
He might have three Daytona 500 triumphs to his name, but Hamlin understands that now is the time to stage a run to win the long-eluded championship trophy. “I feel like I work hard and that work ethic that my father instilled in me… that still lives on today. and it applies to everything that I do, whether it be running 23XI, building that race team. I think there will be a point in my life where I’m gonna say, I’m not as competitive on the racetrack, I’m missing a few things, and then you have to make that tough decision to hang it up. That time is closer to me than it’s ever been but I still have some goals that I’m really trying to achieve.” Hamlin said this to Kevin Harvick.
There was a lot of noise surrounding Hamlin s future in the No. 11 car. Lack of anchor sponsors, the new crew chief in place, and him growing older with every passing year. Many people wrote him off at the start of the season, but his Martinsville domination was a reality check that Hamlin gave to everyone that he’s still on a title hunt.
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