Denny Hamlin Fires Back at Critics With Spotify Spoofs as Chase Elliott Joins the Fun
Denny Hamlin remains one of the most talked-about drivers in NASCAR, even if he’s never won the Most Popular Driver award. Love him or hate him, fans and rivals alike can’t seem to stop discussing the veteran Joe Gibbs Racing star.
Recently, Hamlin reacted to a series of hilarious Spotify Wrapped spoofs that perfectly captured what his rivals—and particularly Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) fans—think of him. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Hamlin shared the edits and wrote:
“I heard it all.”
One of the “top songs” in the spoof was titled “Boo”, a nod to the reception Hamlin often gets from his detractors. Another edit featured a cheeky title, “ZeRO cHaMPionSHiPs”, credited to “HMS fans.” Despite owning 54 Cup Series wins—including triumphs at the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, and Southern 500—Hamlin is still chasing his first NASCAR Cup Series championship.
The third spoof referenced his popular podcast on Dirty Mo Media, with a track titled “I Love Your Podcast”. While many enjoy his insights off the track, Hamlin’s unapologetic, “I’m-not-here-to-make-friends” attitude on the track has polarized fans.
Hamlin, however, remains unfazed. His primary focus is winning, and he isn’t bothered by the lack of widespread respect. After the 2021 playoff race at Martinsville, he tweeted:
“I don’t care what your opinions are. I don’t care what you think of me. You don’t know me. Reverse the rolls with your favorite driver. Feel the same? There’s obviously a lack of respect out there that needs to be earned back. The easy way, or the hard way.”
New Chapter Ahead With Chris Gayle
Looking to turn the page in 2025, Hamlin will have a new crew chief, Chris Gayle, formerly of the No. 54 team. Gayle will take over for Chris Gabehart, who has been Hamlin’s crew chief since 2019. Gabehart is transitioning to a competition director role with the Toyota team.
Chase Elliott’s Playful Response to Hamlin’s Spoofs
The “Zero Championships” spoof included a meme of SpongeBob SquarePants wearing Chase Elliott’s No. 9 NAPA Racing hat. Elliott, the Hendrick Motorsports star, seized the opportunity to promote his merchandise. Sharing the post, he joked:
“Hats for sale btw.”
Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevy, has had his share of run-ins with Hamlin. In 2023, Elliott was suspended for one race after wrecking Hamlin during the rain-delayed Coca-Cola 600, a violation of NASCAR’s Member Code of Conduct. According to AP News, NASCAR stated the action removed “another competitor from championship contention in a dangerous manner.”
Elliott denied intentionally wrecking Hamlin, explaining:
“Once you hit the wall in these things, you can’t drive them anymore. So unfortunately not, no, just an unfortunate circumstance.”
Moving On From the Past
Over a year has passed since that incident, and it seems both drivers have left their on-track clashes behind. Fans were thrilled to see Elliott respond playfully to Hamlin’s jabs, proving that rivalries don’t always have to get personal.
As the saying goes, what happens on the track, stays on the track. For Hamlin, though, the goal remains the same: finally capturing that elusive championship in the seasons ahead.
