“Denny’s got this sort of shell, and he says he’s misunderstood… And so we’re seeing this human side.” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said these words a few weeks ago, when Denny Hamlin won at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. With that win, he punched his ticket to the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. But what mattered more was his ailing father getting to see his 60th Cup trophy, and Hamlin eliciting cheers instead of boos from fans.

So, Dale Jr. was one of the people rooting for Denny Hamlin last Sunday. And sadly, Junior also became one of those who felt deeply for a heartbroken Hamlin. His chance to win the Cup Series title slipped through his fingers. At this dire juncture, the 51-year-old sees only one path of healing for Hamlin.

Denny Hamlin needs a touch of reassurance

Sadly, a late caution on lap 310 deprived Denny Hamlin of the victory and a much-awaited Cup Series championship. The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran had confessed earlier that this might be his last chance for his terminally ill father, Dennis Hamlin, to watch him grab a title. “Nothing that no one’s ever going to be able to say anything to him that’ll make him feel better,” Dale Jr. said on his podcast.

However, somebody might reassure him – Hamlin’s father. “If there’s anybody that could ever make Denny feel somewhat better or just at least be able to like move beyond and continue to do kick-ass things, it would probably be his dad telling him…what you did was enough for me.”

“It was excruciating to watch,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr.. Denny Hamlin led for 208 of 319 laps at Phoenix Raceway and was easily the best car not just in the playoff grid but the entire Cup Series fold. Junior continued, “He drives this car for 90% of the race going…You know, of course, he’s not assuming anything, but he’s sitting there going, ‘I’ve never had a he never had a better shot at winning a championship’…That car could have beaten the f—— Penske cars.”

Denny Hamlin‘s NASCAR story has entailed constant struggle. His father, Dennis, got him to a racetrack for the first time when he was 5 years old. As Hamlin raced and the bills mounted, his father pushed on until it almost cost the family their home. Dale Jr. continued, “His family, his dad, his mom, they gave up everything. They mortgaged everything to have this kid get the opportunity he’s gotten. They took him to the racetrack. They allowed him to learn how to drive a race car, learn all of that go-karts, many stocks, late model stocks, all of that growth and progress, you know, on their dime.”

Denny Hamlin received consolation from all corners of the NASCAR garage. From teammate Chase Briscoe to rival and 2025 Cup Series champion Kyle Larson, many people patted him on the back. However, Dale Earnhardt Jr. believes that the magic will happen only with one person – Dennis Hamlin. “I’m just thinking I think that’s probably the only person in the world that could probably actually take a little bit of this thing out for him.”

Indeed, Denny Hamlin will need a lot of reassurance. That is because of his gloomy post-race comments that are setting off ripples of worry in the community.

A pressing need to move on

When the championship hopes melted away in front of Denny Hamlin, it was an emotional time. He could be seen dumbstruck inside his car, his eyes tearing up. “It’s hard …” Hamlin said as his voice quivered in the post-race interview. “I’m trying. I’m trying my best.” He continued, “I really don’t have much emotion right now. Just numb about it because just in shock.” Of all the times Hamlin lost a shot at the title – from finishing runner-up to Jimmie Johnson in 2010 to losing the 2014 title to Kevin Harvick due to late-race cautions – this one stung the most.

So, fans began speculating if Denny Hamlin would pull a ‘Carl’. This referred to former JGR driver Carl Edwards, who shockingly retired after coming up short in the 2016 Cup Series title run. And Hamlin’s comments fueled such speculation. “In this moment, I never want to race a car ever again,” he said, despite having a two-year contract with JGR. However, two days after the race, Hamlin clarified his intentions in a press conference. “I plan to [race], I have a contract to, but at this point, there’s just absolutely no way… I don’t even [want to] think about a race car right now. It just, yeah, I’m gonna need some time on this one.”

Evidently, the JGR veteran needs more hugs to uplift his morale. And as Dale Earnhardt Jr. said, the hugs from Denny’s father will go a long way to help.