The hot and cold dynamic between Denny Hamlin and the NASCAR community can sometimes surprise one. Hamlin has been an insinuating personality in the sport and is often at the center of fandom backlash. However, sometimes there are moments when people recognize his skill behind the wheel as one of the best-ever drivers in NASCAR history.

In a recent incident on Twitter, NASCAR statistics account Trey Ryan revealed his most viewed stats from the past year. A post depicting the fastest qualifying speeds in Coca-Cola 600 history appeared in tenth place.  Denny Hamlin topped the list as the post reminded people of his iconic qualifying attempt in 2013 with a speed of 195.624 mph. However, Trey Ryan couldn’t find a video clip of the astonishing effort, which left Denny Hamlin sad to an extent. However, another popular NASCAR Twitter account, ‘nascarman,’ came to Denny’s rescue.

NASCAR Insider unearths Denny Hamlin’s heroic qualifying effort from the 2013 Coca-Cola 600

Looking at Trey Ryan’s tweet, one of the fans got curious about why the tweet owner couldn’t add a video of Denny Hamlin reaching a speed of 195+ mph. The fan commented, “Was Denny’s lap not available, or did you figure 2005 would get more views because gen4.” 

The video showed the incredible qualifying lap of Ryan Newman at one of the most iconic Coca-Cola 600 events in NASCAR history. The race lasted more than five hours and had 22 caution flags. The fan also pointed out that a video of a Gen 4 race would bring more views for Trey Ryan since the racing was more unhinged back then than it is currently.

Trey Ran replied to the comment, “I tried to find Denny’s lap, but I could not find it unfortunately. It would have been great to use because it was still single car qualifying, and that 2013 car was incredible in q-trim.” and the Joe Gibbs Racing star responded with a disappointing sigh as he wrote, “Damn.”

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However, NASCAR history writer ‘nascarman’ got Denny’s back as he came up with a video that displayed Denny Hamlin’s herculean effort. The video also showed JGR team owner Joe Gibbs watching Denny’s perfect lap in awe as the No. 11 driver set a qualifying record of 27.604 seconds. However, Hamlin was among many to break the former record, as seven other drivers followed suit.

The iconic 2013 Coca-Cola 600 qualifying session

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Denny Hamlin had just returned from a fractured vertebra injury in 2013. In only his second points-paying race after his return, none of the jam-packed Charlotte Motor Speedway fans expected the No. 11 to produce such a sublime performance. Hamlin said the qualifying attempt was a huge risk as he went too deep into the corners and at a speed that would have damaged his car extensively.

Following the 195-mph plus effort, Denny Hamlin revealed, “We have a mission ahead, and that’s to try and make the Chase,” said Hamlin, who needs to win one or two races and make the top 20 in points to get a wild card berth. The best way to do that is to win races and to win races; you’re going to have to have every advantage you can — one of them being the No. 1 pit stall.”

“I really just committed to running the best lap I could, pushing every envelope that I normally don’t push. Obviously, it paid off with a big reward,” added Hamlin.

In 2013, the Gen 6 cars were introduced and set new records, surpassing the previous models in their initial days. The Gen-6 cars had broken six previous track records in the year at Bristol, Martinsville, Texas, Kansas, Richmond, and Darlington. One of Denny Hamlin’s closest competitors on that day was 2004 Cup Series champ Kurt Busch. After Denny’s 195.624 mph, Kurt Busch sat second with 195.221.

Matt Kenseth was the other driver to break the 195 mph barrier that day, as he finished third. The 2013 Coca-Cola 600 main event is one of the best-remembered races in NASCAR, as Kevin Harvick beat a tough grid en route to victory. A photo-frame finish, close-quarter action, and a remarkable qualifying session combined to make it a date to remember.

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