Denny Hamlin doesn’t hide fact he ‘hates’ | Sports News

Denny Hamlin shared how he felt watching his Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) teammate Christopher Bell win at COTA. 

Bell held off Tyler Reddick and William Byron to win the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix in impressive fashion, with all three drivers putting together a clean final lap. And while Bell notched his second straight win of the young 2025 season, Hamlin was left with a sour taste in his mouth. 

The NASCAR star finished in 21st, marking the second time he’s finished in a suboptimal position, coming in at 24th at Daytona and sixth at the Ambetter Health 400, which Bell also won. On the latest episode of ‘Actions Detrimental,’ Hamlin shared what was going through his mind as he saw his teammate with another win. 

“Let me just educate the conspiracy theorist, OK? I am a competitive person,” Hamlin began on the episode. “There is nobody that I hate seeing win more than my teammate because I know they’re driving the same thing that I’m driving. I love Chris Freese; he’s a great dude. I don’t want him to beat me. You always measure yourself off your teammates. I never saw the lead all day.”

With his words seemingly coming off as standoffish, the JGR driver felt he needed to fully explain what he meant when he stated that he disliked seeing Bell raise another trophy.

“Let me clarify. You’re happy for them. After the race, I’m congratulating Heather and Joe [Gibbs]. It’s a big win for the team,” he continued. ” But as a driver and as a competitor, we do not like seeing our teammates win because it’s like the flashlight’s on you. It’s just tough because you’re like, ‘God dang it. What am I missing here?'”

Hamlin’s 2025 season has gotten off to a rough start and it is best exemplified by the fact that he achieved an unwanted career first as well. The 44-year-old has failed to earn a stage point for the time in his NASCAR career during the first three races of a season, showing how much the early part of the season has been a struggle.

And for as much as Hamlin would like to win a championship, the NASCAR veteran admitted that he knows that time is running out for him in the Cup Series. In a sport where reaction times are critical, Hamlin understands that once his abilities start to wane, he will call it a career. 

Before the Daytona 500, Hamlin spoke with FOX Sports and explained how 60 wins is a goal he is striving to get, more so than a championship as his career comes to a close. In the same discussion, the JGR driver and co-owner of 23XI Racing admitted that he knows his time is coming. 

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“I definitely can,” the 23XI Racing co-owner said when asked if he sees the finish line of his career. “And I’m just not going to allow myself to be another driver out there. But there will be a day when I wake up and I don’t have the skill set that I had before. I don’t know when that day is. I don’t feel like it’s right now. I feel as sharp as I ever have behind the wheel.

“I’m no dummy. I understand that Father Time is undefeated. Especially in our sport where reaction time is probably the most important thing. More than likely, when I stop, it will be an abrupt stop.”