NASCAR’s Denny Hamlin Tears Up in Court While Discussing Ailing Father

Three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin took the stand on Monday, December 1, in his company’s antitrust case against NASCAR, breaking down in tears during his emotional testimony.

“We got to when I was about 20 and a decision had to be made, I could keep racing or go out and work for my dad’s trailer business,” Hamlin, 45, testified in court after he was asked how he got into racing.

He told the Associated Press in October that his father, Dennis Hamlin, is battling “serious illness” at age 75 and that 2025 would be his last chance to see Denny win the NASCAR Cup Series. Denny is widely viewed as the greatest driver in the sport’s history to never win the Cup.

“I know for a fact this is my last chance for my dad to see it. I don’t want him going and never getting to see the moment,” he said before the final race of the season.

Denny finished sixth at Phoenix Raceway, securing a second-place Cup finish behind Kyle Larson. He later revealed on a November episode of his “Actions Detrimental with Denny Hamlin” podcast that he can’t bring himself to watch the video of his dad cheering him on from home.

“Yeah, he was fine, very supportive,” Hamlin said. “He didn’t like the outcome, but I think he was still okay with the result. You know, he said to me, just like a lot of people say, he’s like, ‘I don’t know what to say. What am I supposed to say?’ He’s like, ‘You had it. You did it. You just don’t have the trophy.”

A little over a month after his season ended, Denny was in a Charlotte, North Carolina, courtroom representing 23XI Racing, which he co-owns with NBA legend Michael Jordan. 23XI and Front Row Motorsports are suing NASCAR, accusing the auto racing giant of acting as a monopoly based on “exclusivity clauses, ownership of most of the race tracks on the Cup schedule, and its control of the rules and regulations,” according to the AP.

Denny told the court that his father is “not in great health” and detailed the sacrifices his family made to allow him to pursue his racing dreams. He previously told the AP that Dennis took out multiple mortgages on the family’s Virginia home and maxed out his credit cards to help Denny break into NASCAR.

“He was just so happy and he always tells me I’m the best, no matter if I win or not, he always says I’m the best,” Denny said in October. “He’s a big hype guy and I sat in his garage and talked with him, he’s got all my old memorabilia and it’s just good to reminisce. He’s a reminiscent guy and right now I am just cherishing those hours that I have with them each week.”

Going into that final race, Larson, 33, said that if he couldn’t win the Cup, he would like to see Denny do it for his dad.

“I could see how [his dad] absolutely gives extra motivation, and I think sympathy goes a long way,” he said. “It’s not going to stop me from wanting to beat him, but there’s a lot of reasons a Denny Hamlin championship would feel good.”