Denny Hamlin invites NASCAR fans to join him on ‘the dark side’

With his latest win at Bristol, Denny Hamlin has fully embraced his role as the bad guy of NASCAR, and he wants fans to join him. Hamlin has insisted that he doesn’t care if he gets cheers or boos, he just wants the crowd to be involved and to care.

Well, they care. Over the course of the season, Hamlin has earned the ire of a lot of fans. Namely, Kyle Larson and Hendrick Motorsports fans. You already get docked for being a JGR Toyota driver, but the races at Kansas and Pocono this season really added fuel to the fire.

In his postrace comments, Denny Hamlin acknowledged the fans. Both the haters and the ones who support him. He’s been getting more boos, but he’s also had plenty of cheers lately. He thinks it is his year.

“Yeah, I mean, at some point I got to realize 18 years in that I’m probably not going to win the most popular driver award (smiling). I’ve come to the conclusion of that. I understand it.

“Yeah, they think they bother me. But clearly, it’s having an opposite effect. I welcome any fan who want to come to the dark side. All five of my fans are still out there chanting my name. They’re over in turn three right now. But yeah, as Katt Williams said: A hater can’t stand a winner.”

Denny jokes that he only has five fans, but he has been winning people over. While he’s not going to earn the support of diehard Chevy and Ford fans or Hendrick or RCR fans – that doesn’t mean he can’t win over others. I know a few new NASCAR fans that love Hamlin because he seems to be the villain, the guy who doesn’t give a damn. He’s also winning races!

Denny Hamlin beat your favorite driver

I actually thought the beginning of the Bristol Night Race was good. Throughout the first half, there was a lot going on, drivers making moves. The cautions just didn’t add up and there were lots of green flag moments.

However, given the lackluster finish, this race will likely be remembered for Denny Hamlin’s comments on the front stretch. After winning, Hamlin let the crowd know what he had just done.

“I beat your favorite driver,” he said to the crowd. “All of ’em,” he responded when asked which driver he was talking about.

Throughout the first three races of the playoffs, Denny Hamlin has established himself as a favorite for the championship. Let’s be honest, he’s been in similar positions before. He has to worry about making it through each round and carrying this speed he’s had in the last two months into the Round of 12, 8, and finally the Championship 4 at Phoenix.

Is this the year that Denny Hamlin pulls it off and wins the Bill France Cup?