Denny Hamlin’s Déjà Vu: A Repeat of Past Mistakes?
If you ask Tony Stewart or Kyle Busch, they’ll tell you the same thing—Kevin Harvick may be known as “Happy” off the track, but on it, he was as fierce as they come. He wouldn’t give up an inch of asphalt, and back in 2019 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Denny Hamlin learned that lesson the hard way.
After a tight duel in the closing laps, Harvick edged out Hamlin at the 2019 Foxwoods Resort Casino 301, leaving the #11 driver frustrated. “I just told him [Hamlin] we were leaving on a tow truck or winning the race today,” Harvick said after securing the victory. Hamlin had to settle for second place, but the experience stuck with him.
Fast forward to 2025, and history repeated itself at the Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway. Christopher Bell, Hamlin’s teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing, edged him out in a near-identical fashion—beating him by just 0.049 seconds. Hamlin, once again, took the outside line and lost momentum in the final corner, just like he had against Harvick in 2019.
A Familiar Feeling of Regret
Hamlin reflected on the 2019 New Hampshire race, speaking with Jared Allen about what went wrong. He admitted that he hesitated at a critical moment, opting against an inside move and instead trying to outmaneuver Harvick on the outside—a decision that backfired.
“I did the same mistake with Harvick at New Hampshire. Like… such an idiot. I wish I would just do things differently in the moment,” Hamlin said. “I let off because I didn’t want to get pinched, and that was the stupidest thing ever. Instead, I get behind him, thinking I’ll just nudge him out of the way. Well, what did he do? He just went dead left, slowed way down, and said, ‘Go ahead, pass me.’ And once I did, he just turned right.”
At Phoenix, Bell pulled off a similar move, forcing Hamlin high and costing him just enough speed to secure the victory. Hamlin recognized the parallels, acknowledging that Bell made the right move under the circumstances.
“Do I wish we would have raced in the corner side-by-side and see who could get the best run-off? Absolutely,” Hamlin admitted. “But I don’t think he was going to win that way. His best opportunity—since I had the outside—was to slow my momentum by getting me up the racetrack. And it worked perfectly.”
Trouble Brewing Off the Track
While Hamlin continues to chase a long-awaited NASCAR Cup Series championship, his challenges extend beyond just racing. His 23XI Racing team, co-owned with NBA legend Michael Jordan, is now entangled in a legal dispute with NASCAR.
The lawsuit, which has taken a significant turn, accuses Curtis Polk—Jordan’s longtime manager and a key 23XI executive—of conspiring with plaintiffs to interfere with NASCAR’s media rights negotiations. NASCAR alleges that 23XI, along with Front Row Motorsports and other entities, attempted to manipulate the 2025 charter negotiations to secure more favorable terms.
Hamlin responded to the allegations, expressing surprise at the accusations. “Certainly, I was very surprised to hear some of the accusations that were said,” Hamlin stated. “All I can really tell you is that I’ve been in business now with Curtis for five years. He’s one of the most respected businessmen in all of sports. He helped us build this race team into a championship-caliber team by year five, which was our goal.”
With the lawsuit set to go to trial in December 2025, the outcome could have significant implications for Hamlin, 23XI Racing, and NASCAR as a whole.
What’s Next for Hamlin?
Despite not yet winning a race this season, Hamlin still sees promise in his organization. His driver Tyler Reddick has already secured two podium finishes—one at Daytona and another at COTA—suggesting that 23XI Racing is still on an upward trajectory.
However, Hamlin’s inability to learn from past mistakes on the track, coupled with the legal trouble surrounding his team, raises serious questions about what the future holds.
Can Hamlin finally break his cycle of near-misses and miscalculations? Or will he remain haunted by past mistakes—both on and off the track? One thing is certain: his next move will be critical.