The legendary driver Denny Hamlin of NASCAR has taken stock of his career and the factors that fueled his intense competition on and off the racetrack.
During an intimate discussion with Kenny Wallace on the “Kenny Conversation,” Hamlin shared his opinions on retirement and his continuous struggle to recognize his own professional accomplishments.
Future Hall of Famer Denny Hamlin, who has 54 career victories to his credit, including three victories in the Daytona 500 and Southern 500 as well as four victories in the Busch Light Clash, is determined to keep putting in big laps in order to increase his win total.
Behind his spectacular wins and triumphant champagne sprays, though, is a reflection on the potential conclusion of his racing career—a moment he believes will enable him to reflect and be grateful for all that he has accomplished.
“I consider the people who managed to escape… It’s ridiculous, we primarily just recognize and enjoy the successes of our friends or children, not our own,” Hamlin admitted.
“We rarely take the time to really sit back and enjoy what we’ve accomplished ourselves,” acknowledges Hamlin. I’m really, really sorry for it.”
The way that Hamlin views his accomplishments is nuanced.
Even though he values increasing his “stat column”—which he believes is never-ending—the emotional attachment to his achievements doesn’t appear to last long.
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“Even if I win this weekend, I’ll be over it by Tuesday and focused on how I’m going to win Indianapolis the following week.
Therefore, I believe that retirement is the ideal time for me to really kind of think back on those things.
It means a lot to me that I want to continue developing the résumé you just read there, thus I really care about packing up the stat column right now.”
Along with struggling with his history, the racer also questions his value in the eyes of the sport’s legends.
In spite of his noteworthy triumphs, particularly at the Southern 500, the Florida driver expressed a deep sense of insecurity:
“When I see the all-time greats next to my name or face on the Southern 500 trophy, I feel like I don’t belong there.
“I haven’t sat down and truly enjoyed them yet, so it seems surreal to me what I’ve accomplished in this sport.”
Which is unfortunate since I am aware of this and it’s one of the reasons I put in so much effort to perform at a high level: you want to succeed and take pleasure in your achievements.
But as I mentioned on my podcast, I’m definitely too much of an asshole when it comes to competition; I just need more and more; this one isn’t good enough.
I therefore think it’s a weakness in my nature that I don’t appreciate things to the fullest.”
