Young Denny Hamlin's Daytona Wish.

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^{Jan 20, 2025 | Edition #126}

👋 Dear Motorheads,

As kids, we all dreamt of standing by the track, feeling the rush of the engines or even just taking a lap around Daytona. Some even pictured racing against legends like the Pettys, Earnhardts, and Allisons.

And, Denny Hamlin was no different. Thanks to his mother’s keepsakes, we now get a rare glimpse into his childhood dream—a letter written by the 7-year-old Florida boy. Or, as the Lucky Dog would call him, a young dreamer destined for greatness.

🗝️ From the Vault

A 7-Year-Old’s Wish To Conquer Daytona

“What do you wanna be when you grow up?” That was a tough one to answer growing up for all of us. But apparently not for Denny Hamlin. At just 7, he knew he loved racing (the most). And wanted to become a ‘Daytona 500 champion.’ Now that he is one, it must feel like a full-circle moment.

Parents often save things from their children's younger days (no matter how embarrassing). And so did Hamlin’s mother Mary Lou, who probably had a great foresight. But what amazes us is the contents of the letter. Read it yourself.

Little Denny knew what paint scheme he wanted and even had his crew chief’s name handy, and what he’d do with the cash prize. But it took 27 years for that dream to come true until he won his first Daytona 500 in 2016.

We remember how he was driving in P4 until the final lap. The next thing we saw, was Kevin Harvick’s push, and Hamlin took on three seasoned veterans [Martin Truex Jr., Matt Kenseth, and Harvick] at once. It was a Daytona 500 finale filled with adrenaline, precision, and split-second decisions—undoubtedly one of the most electrifying yet the closest Daytona 500 finish in history! Even the ones in the booth got chills in their spine. Take a look at Denny’s incredible pass! 

Since then, Hamlin has clinched the Daytona 500 crown twice more—in 2019 and again in 2020. The 2020 race, though, was something else entirely. The chaos of the final lap crash involving Ryan Newman’s car had fans holding their breath in shock. But amid the mayhem, Hamlin’s finish was epic (another top-10 in the list). Here’s the footage from the white flag under green at the 2020 Daytona 500.

If Hamlin knew, his wishes would come true like this. He’d probably go back in time and tell that kid to change it to ‘Cup Champion.’ He’s 12th in all-time wins. And, we know Hamlin has the potential. Looking back, in 2010, the Cup was within reach (P2). Eight wins and 39 points behind Jimmie Johnson. Or the four years (2014, 2019, 2020, 2021) he made championship 4, but he always ended up third or fourth. 

And, Denny we are with you. You must not stop until you win! Even if JGR eventually replaces him, we know he’s got 23XI. And, 2025 could be “the year.”

He is 44. And if he manages to win it in 2025, he would still not be the oldest driver to win a championship. It was Bobby Allison in 1983 at 45 years, 11 months, and 17 days old. And, you must see how Allison celebrated.

And even if Hamlin wins it in 2026, he would still be a day younger than Allison. If we consider 3rd Nov as the season end. Hamlin would be 45 years, 11 months, and 16 days old lifting the Cup. What a sight it would be! The Lucky Dog can literally imagine Hamlin saying “I beat your favorite driver once again.”

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📈 Trending News

How Kyle Larson Defied Gravity to Win Chili Bowl? 

We all kind of knew Kyle Larson would be the 2025 Chili Bowl Champion. But the only reason we had doubts was Christopher Bell and Kyle Busch’s presence. But Bell ended in P10, and Busch could not even reach the main event, like Ty Gibbs and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

And, Oh Boy, did you see that FINISH! It seemed like an easy race for Larson at first since he had the fastest car and started at the pole. But passing traffic was tricky. 17 laps in, Brenham Couch and Jacob Denney made contact. And Larson had nowhere to go but to drive over a car. And, it was quite literally over its tires! Take a look. 

We are still not able to wrap our heads around how Larson was still on the lead after this. And neither could he. Larson admitted, “I ran over him and stalled, and when I landed, I’m like, ‘Please re-fire,’ and it refired.” Talk about being lucky. Then, with just 4 to go, his car climbed the outside wall. But, he skated over it and was still in the lead. Believe us, it’s crazier than it sounds. Watch the Footage. 

Right after he was on the wall there was a yellow flag for the banner being ripped off the wall. This kept Larson in the lead on the restart! If we continue our ‘how lucky was Larson’ rant, see the timing of the caution. Not because it kept him in the lead, a restart at the end meant all the traffic was now behind him.

And, a champion would any day choose to re-create that gap with the pack than risk his win by passing traffic. Now Larson too has won it thrice. So the 2026 battle (hoping Bell reaches the main event) should be a tight one!

But wait: How Can Kyle Larson Be Pushed Down the Denny Hamlin Villain Era After the Chili Bowl - Read Full Story

🏁 Lucky Dog’s Quick Poll 🏁

Last Poll’s Result: We asked which veteran you want to see in the Daytona 500 lineup, and 44.60% of you chose Carl Edwards. Jeff Gordon came in as the second favorite, while many of you also expressed a desire to see Dale Earnhardt Jr. back in a Cup car. And, it's clear nostalgia and legendary names still dominate the dream lineup conversation!

🗞️ NASCAR Shorts!

Richard Petty's Gift for Donald Trump

The inauguration Day is here! And, Richard Petty’s daughter Rebecca got a phone call from the president’s office. They wanted Petty to be part of Donald Trump’s inauguration parade. But Rebbeca hung up with, “I’ll ask Dad and let you know,” reply.

When "The King" got to know it wasn’t just an invitation but he had to drive in the parade, he couldn’t say no and certainly has the most iconic gift for the President. And, you’d be stunned to see what Petty is driving in a lineup full of black limos and horses. Have a look at this beauty!

🔎 The In-Depth View

Jeff Gordon's Hidden Agenda at Chili Bowl

You probably already know about Gordon’s Grand Marshal duties at Tulsa. But there’s another reason he was there. Gordon and Mr. H were on a hunt and according to them, some of the top talent is seen at these races.

As Gordon himself noted, he was looking for “the next Kyle Larson, the next Tony Stewart.” And, how did he do this? Look at this video of Gordon scouting during the race.

If we talk about Larson and Stewart, they both started from the Dirt. Rather, that’s how Kyle Larson was recruited too. In 2011, he was racing in USAC, impressing many when Mike Curb (Curb Racing’s owner) took notice and decided to induce him into their developmental program.

Stewart, who is a two-time Chili Bowl champion (2002, 2007), has also spoken about “high-level talent” coming there. Kyle Busch also picked his talent for KBM from these races. He even said, “It was kind of where I got my best sense of racing against some of those younger guys and got to pick up on some of those guys.” That’s how he got Erik Jones and Christopher Bell. And just winning races isn't the criteria to be picked.

Busch judged them on everything. We remember...Keselowski had once said, “You’re gonna look for the guy that made good moves and was calm in situations of duress.”

While the criteria are subjective, who knows, maybe Jeff Gordon was impressed by the Dirt Racing prodigy Emerson Axsom who finished 9th in the Chili Bowl main event but was consistent throughout.

Continue Reading: Nervous Jeff Gordon Gets Scary Flashbacks as Kyle Larson Sets Chili Bowl on Fire

🔮 Lucky Dog’s Perspective

Dale Earnhardt Sr. Was Bigger Than NASCAR

We can all agree that NASCAR is not the same as it used to be. And no matter how many discussions and debates we have on the playoff format, no conclusions seem to be drawn. 

So, let’s think back to why we loved NASCAR so much in the '80s and the '90s. Of course, because we had drivers like Dale Earnhardt Sr. or Jeff Gordon. And these guys were household names. Even the non-NASCAR fans knew them.

And we need a Dale Earnhardt Sr or as Wallace called them, “Superstars,” again, who could fix what’s wrong.

For instance, today we have the safety debate, and we had it back then as well. But drivers complain that the cars are too unsafe. And, what did Earnhardt say, “I think they all ought to tie a kerosene rag around their ankles so the ants don't crawl up their leg and chew their candy asses off." This is missing!

The question is not about being as raw and wild as him. It’s just being bold and speaking your heart out, no matter the consequence. Remember Sr’s unapologetic comments after wrecking Terry Labonte to win the 1999 Bristol race? Here’s his “rattle” explanation. 

While drivers today might say controversial things. But it’s still not the same. Coming back to the ‘missing superstars’ part. Maybe after Gordon, Dale Jr or Tony Stewart came a little close to that kind of stardom. But again, it would be unfair to say they were on Sr’s level.

Like Wallace said Sr, “could have got on radio or TV and said ‘everybody stay home’ and all the fans would have stayed home.” We don’t think this kind of presence can be created again in NASCAR.

When more than half of the stadium is wearing ‘black and silver’ t-shirts, possibly chanting, "Raise Hell, Praise Dale." It might seem impossible. But there is no harm in wishing for those days to be back. Maybe with Chase Elliott or Denny Hamlin!

📰 Lucky Dog's Recommended Reads

1. Denny Hamlin Gets a Surprise Gift by Loyal Sponsor - Full Story

2. “Gotta Cheat”: Ex-Chili Bowl Champion Exposes Dark Truth About Kyle Larson’s Hunting Ground - Full Story

3. Commanders Fan Dale Jr Posts 45-Year-Old Throwback Picture With the Intimidator - Full Story

4. Toni Breidinger Breaks Silence on TikTok Ban - Full Story 

5. Daytona 500 Weather Update - Check it out

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