The Cup Series is already halfway through the regular season, with 13 of the 26 points-paying races completed. The fight for a playoff berth is getting intense, with the final laps seeing increasingly aggressive driving. But before the series reaches the more critical stages, the race at NASCAR’s Crown Jewel is yet to transpire.

The Coca-Cola 600 has always been among the most coveted races of the year and has occupied a pivotal position in NASCAR’s schedule. The reasons for this are manifolds. The 600-mile race is the longest on the calendar. The event also honors the Bravehearts of the country. The drivers and teams display the names of the fallen heroes on the windshields of their cars. 

But that’s not all. The race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway allows the drivers to accumulate extra stage points and playoff points. Therefore, the drivers are always eager to put in that extra effort in order to have a high-scoring finish. The same goes for Denny Hamlin.

Denny Hamlin flaunts his crown from last year, as he looks forward to racing in Charlotte

As the defending winner of the Coca-Cola 600, Hamlin must be feeling that extra bit of pressure. However, looking at his social media activity, it doesn’t seem to be so, as he flaunts his winner’s trophy from last year on his Instagram profile along with his daughter.

The 2022 race at Charlotte was nothing less than a public spectacle, where the cars were spun and shoved on the track, including Denny Hamlin’s #11 Camry. But that did not deter the three-time Daytona 500 winner. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver had only led the first nine laps of the race, before falling back in the pack. But with two overtimes, this veteran changed the tide of the race to his favor and emerged victorious after beating his former teammate Kyle Busch and taking the lead. 

With Hamlin securing the podium in Charlotte last year, Joe Gibbs Racing has the highest number of victories in the Coca-Cola 600, starting with Bobby Labonte. Nevertheless, the veteran JGR driver is surely prying for another victory on Sunday as can be deciphered from the video that he posted on Instagram.

In the video, Hamlin’s little daughter can be seen taking out a bottle of Coke from the vending machine, that he had won last year as a prize. After opening the seal of the bottle, Taylor is heard saying, “And that’s how you get a Coke out of a Coke machine.” 

The JGR driver also added the caption, “Perks of winning the Coca-Cola 600.”

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Fans of the JGR driver cheer for the driver ahead of the race

While Denny Hamlin cherished his victory at the 2022 Coca-Cola 600, the fans could not help themselves but envy the fact of getting free Cokes. 

Even the beverage company left a comment under the post, “The trophy that keeps on giving.”

The official account of Charlotte Motor Speedway also commented, “Love to see it.”

While others wrote, 

“Let’s double the amount of vending machines this weekend.”

“That’s badass! And that’s too tier trophy!”

“That would be enough reason to win the bloody race.”

With the race approaching in a day’s time, the audience is setting their expectations high. With the inauguration of the Memorial Day weekend, it is to be seen who secures the extra points for the playoffs and remains a step ahead in the game. Will it be Hamlin who retains the crown, or will it be someone else who salvages the day in Charlotte? 

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