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Denny Hamlin Ran His First Car “In the Back of a Bus” After Spending Almost All of His First Paycheck From Joe Gibbs on It

Published 03/30/2024, 8:53 PM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

Denny Hamlin, a phenomenal star in the world of NASCAR, is under the limelight, following his communion with Kevin Harvick. The JGR driver was recently featured on Harvick’s Happy Hour Podcast. In conversation, Hamlin exchanged and relived heartfelt moments from his career while delving into intense tire management topics and the ongoing horsepower debate.

Keeping the conversation interesting and enchanting, Harvick quipped Denny with a question, “What was the first car that you ever bought in purchase that you drove on the street and tell me the story about around buying that car or who gave it to you.”

The nostalgic story about Denny Hamlin’s first car

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In response to Harvick’s question, Hamlin answered, “The first car I bought was a Ford Ranger from my brother. He got it for Christmas um two or three years before I got the home down but I got it, bought it from him.” It was a Ford Ranger splash. Reminiscing about his first car, Hamlin fondly recalled customizing it with lowered suspension, graphics, a spoiler on the back, and large 18-inch wheels. He even dreamed of featuring it in a mini truck magazine.

Hamlin’s purchase was fueled by his first $10,000 paycheck from Joe Gibbs Racing as a development driver. I got my check from Joe Gibbs Racing; it was $10,000 to be their development driver. Well, I took that 10,000, I bought rims from my Ford Ranger, and I bought a plasma TV, and that money was spent in two weeks. But I had the nicest low rider in Chesterfield, Virginia,” shared Hamlin.

Kevin Harvick, developing the intrigue, further asked, “How did it end? Did you sell it? Wreck it.” Pondering the question, Hamlin accepted of wrecking it a few times. Sharing one of such incidents, Denny Hamlin revealed how ramming his car into the back of a school bus, landed him a job at Subway.

“To age myself, I was reaching down for a CD and ran in the back of a school bus. Once so that made me have to get my first job. Which I worked at Subway. Because my dad says, ‘I’m not paying for that you have to fix it yourself.’ So I had to go get a job at Subway to repair that Ford Ranger but I eventually ended up selling it,” concluded Hamlin.

Joe Gibbs drivers are giving tough competition to Team HMS

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Taking a note from the official start of the 2024 Cup Series season, team HMS displayed utter dominance. The pair of William Byron and Kyle Larson smartly outwitted their peers. However, with 6 races down out of the 26 regular Cup Series races, all players from team JGR are now ranked within the top 10 positions of the rankings. In fact, Martin Truex Jr. and Ty Gibbs hold the top 2 positions in the series standings, without even garnering a win.

William Byron from team HMS, despite winning two victories, stands neck-on-neck with Christopher Bell in terms of points. Following his victory at COTA, Byron is now ranked 6th in the standings with 183 points. Whereas Bell, with just one win, stands at 7th.

Denny Hamlin, in his 6 starts, has achieved 1 win while providing 1 top-5 and 2 top-10 finishes. Hamlin currently ranks 4th, leading Kyle Larson by 1 point in the standings.

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Grateful Denny Hamlin Hopes To Repay Boss Joe Gibbs’ Life-Changing Favors by Supporting His Grandson

As the NASCAR world gears up for the next race at Richmond Raceway, it will be fascinating for the fans to observe the battle. Based on the qualifying results, Larson has clinched the pole position for Sunday’s race, whereas top rankers Martin and TY are positioned 7th and 8th in the race’s lineup. 

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Written by:

Susamay Dey

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Susamay Dey is a NASCAR Author at EssentiallySports. Combining his passion for writing and motorsports, he has gone on to pen down numerous articles on Stock Car Racing's fan favorites, like Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, and Bubba Wallace. While his strength lies in Core Sport reporting, he can also cover lifestyle pieces, enlightening fans about the lesser-known facts about NASCAR stars and their personal lives.
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Edited by:

Shivali Nathta