Denny Hamlin (David Rosenblum/Nigel Kinrade Photography)

By Thomas Hughes, SWN Staff Writer

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 15, 2026) – Denny Hamlin arrived at Sunday’s Daytona 500 carrying far more than the pressure of just another NASCAR Cup Series season opener.

The three-time winner of the Great American Race entered stock car racing’s biggest event after one of the most difficult offseasons of his career, balancing personal loss, legal battles involving his race team, and the emotional toll of returning to competition off a championship that wasn’t meant to be.

By night’s end, Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota crossed the line in 31st place after late-race contact with teammate Christopher Bell, a disappointing finish on paper.

But the result hardly captured the full story of the day, or the heavy months that led up to it, and created as much emotional complexity in a single afternoon as Hamlin had arguably already dealt with.

In late December, Hamlin’s father Dennis died at 75 after a house fire severely damaged the family home and left his mother hospitalized. The tragedy shook the NASCAR community and added another layer of grief to an already challenging stretch.

Dennis Hamlin had been a central figure in his son’s career, supporting his early racing dreams and helping him reach stock car racing’s highest level.

“There was nothing left of the house,” Hamlin said during FOX Sports’ Daytona 500 pre-race show. “The only thing we actually could find that was salvageable was a journal that my dad has been writing in for the last year.”

The emotional weight followed Hamlin into the 2026 season opener. During pre-race coverage, the focus was not just on his racing resume, but on his resilience.

Specifically, his ability to compartmentalize heartbreak and step back into the driver’s seat, to block out the noise, as booth driver analyst Kevin Harvick spotlighted, was key.

That ability has defined Hamlin for much of his career. This offseason alone featured a year-plus legal fight involving 23XI Racing, the team he co-owns, and NASCAR, a battle that ended in a settlement and reshaped revenue-sharing within the sport.

On track, Hamlin still had to prepare for another run at a Daytona 500 victory. Off it, he was navigating grief and recovery with his family.

“December was a wake-up call,” Hamlin said after the race. “… We have to now figure out how we can get the sport back where it was decades ago … [and] the only way we can do it is we’re all going to have to pull the rope in the same direction.”

Sunday’s race began with the usual tension of the season’s biggest event. The early laps were cautious, with drivers feeling out their cars and track position, tepid and not wanting to cause the Big One synonymous with superspeedway racing.

Hamlin gradually worked his way forward and led his first laps of the afternoon near the midway point, a reminder that he remained a contender whenever the race settled into rhythm.

But as always at Daytona, calm rarely lasts.

Late in the race, on lap 192, a collision involving Bell and Hamlin changed everything. Hamlin drifted left up into Bell and slammed into the wall, ending his chances at a fourth Daytona 500 victory. He eventually finished 31st after the damage proved too significant to recover from.

Hamlin’s attention subsequently pivoted to how many drivers from the team that he co-owns with NBA legend Michael Jordan, 23XI Racing, were still in the hunt.

“Just after I got crashed for the last time at the end, I was like — all I’m looking at is the scoreboard, how many horses I still got left in the race,” Hamlin said. “… I knew we had a great shot.”

While his personal result was frustrating, the day still ended with a sense of triumph close to home.

Denny Hamlin (11) races eventual Daytona 500 winner Tyler Reddick (45). (Danny Hansen/NKP photo)Tyler Reddick, who drives for 23XI, surged to victory in a chaotic final lap to win the 68th running of the Daytona 500. Reddick led only the final lap, but that was enough to deliver the organization its first win in the sport’s biggest race.

“It’s different, but it’s fantastic,” Hamlin cracked of winning as an owner. “… It’s very gratifying.”

For Hamlin, that moment provided a complicated but meaningful silver lining.

Though he drives for Joe Gibbs Racing, the success of 23XI Racing is deeply personal. The team’s win was not just a milestone; it was validating after months of off-track distractions, legal uncertainty and emotional strain.

Even after a crash took him out of contention as a driver, the organization he helped build was celebrating in victory lane.

“It certainly soothes the sting of our day on the [No.] 11 car,” Hamlin said.

The win brought a different kind of satisfaction — and with it, a reminder of the competitor he still is.

“I hope this isn’t our last Daytona 500 because I’m still a competitor,” Hamlin said. “No matter how excited I am, I would be more excited if I wasn’t in the race myself. If they won, that means I lost.”

For now, he remains caught between two roles: a driver still chasing more triumphs in NASCAR’s biggest race despite a turbulent offseason, and an owner viewing what his team might be long after his driving career ends.

Hamlin’s next chance to add to his 60-win career tally comes this next weekend at EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway) in Hampton, Ga.

Broadcast coverage of the AutoTrader 400 airs Sunday, Feb. 22 at 3 p.m. ET, live on FOX, the Performance Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.