When pressure batters you from all sides, you need an effective outlet. Denny Hamlin has been in a chaotic disposition since late 2024. 23XI Racing, the Cup Series team that Hamlin co-owns, has been embroiled in a lawsuit with NASCAR, with the situation spiraling recently. Then, Hamlin lost a handful of sponsors and his long-time crew chief and had to adapt to new changes for the 2025 season. Despite all of these stressors, Hamlin continues to thrive – because he unwinds in a special way.

Denny Hamlin recently clinched the Enjoy Illinois 300, finishing 1.620 seconds ahead of his teammate, Chase Briscoe. He laid plenty of milestones, including delivering the 200th victory to Toyota and clinching the 59th Cup Series win of his career. And he attributes this success to a relaxing hobby.

Denny Hamlin’s love for fish

The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran has been dating his life partner, Jordan Fish, since 2007. The two got engaged in January 2024 and have been raising three children, Molly, Taylor, and Jameson. However, managing this adorable family and juggling responsibilities on the racetrack and the courtroom is not easy. The pressure becomes immense for Denny Hamlin. Presently, he leads the 2025 Cup Series season with the highest number of wins, and may be a solid contender to finally break his 20-year dry spell of missing a championship. So while the stress caves in from all sides, Hamlin has a peaceful outlet – he grabs his fishing rod and heads to a lake.

In late June, Jordan Fish shared a video of her husband fishing, and the JGR driver accidentally lost a bass. That created a buzz in NASCAR fandom. And Kevin Harvick could not help but broach this newly discovered hobby of Hamlin’s. The veteran divulged how calm it feels, “I think it’s a lot like…There is so much chaos. Obviously, we know all the things that I’m going through, and I feel like it is my moment, that it’s quiet. You know, we both live in a house with multiple children. And even your house at times is a chaotic spot where it’s like, oh my gosh, I’m just trying to lock myself in a room and just have some quiet here for a second. The water is the place for me to do that. And I found, you know, great enjoyment out of just slowing down.

Then Denny Hamlin revealed the primary part of his love for fishing: “I mean, it’s teaching me patience.” After logging out of a stressful world where he jostles with NASCAR executives in court and Cup Series rivals on the racetrack, Hamlin finds solace with fish. He continued, “You know, you can go out there for hours and hours and just keep casting and not even get a bite. But it teaches me patience. And that’s something that I feel like I need to improve on as a person is being, you know, a more patient person. I think that it’s helping with some life lessons. And if I can catch a fish on the way, that’d be great.”

Fishing is indeed teaching Denny Hamlin life lessons, as his NASCAR goal has changed recently. And another veteran praised him for this change.

Finding wisdom in the chaos

NASCAR’s elimination playoff format has been challenging for the old guard. Drivers like Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson keep shining with wins in the regular season. But all their glory fizzles out due to small mistakes in the postseason. That is how Hamlin has missed his opportunity to clinch a championship all these years. He came close to it several times, like his 8-win season in 2010 when Hamlin almost toppled Jimmie Johnson. However, standing in 2025, Hamlin is not bothered anymore. After his Gateway victory, he stands one win less than Kevin Harvick’s 60th mark. And Hamlin is solely focused on that. This goal impressed another Cup Series veteran as well.

Steve Letarte, veteran crew chief and TV commentator, admired Denny Hamlin’s drive recently. He said, “While he knows that’s the ultimate goal [Cup Series title] and he would love to have one, I feel that he is so confident in his career that he wanted to set a goal that he felt like was more, obtainable is the wrong word, but maybe more in his control? You have a lot of chances to win races, but only so many to win a championship. So he threw 60 out there, and I think that was a genius move internally because I wonder if that’s not the guiding light of Hamlin’s top form at 44 years old. Like, how does a guy do that?”

As Denny Hamlin continues to dazzle the NASCAR garage, we can only wait for the magic he has in store ahead. His personal hobbies fuel this drive, which has a lot of success left in it.