Denny Hamlin is set to hit 700 Cup Series starts this weekend at Nashville. And while that puts him in rare elite company, one of the best tributes might’ve already come from inside his own camp.
Cory Heim, one of the rising stars and development driver for Hamlin’s 23XI Racing, didn’t hold back when talking about what his boss meant to him growing up.
“A lot of people know that growing up, Denny was my idol,” said Heim. “It means the world to have grown up idolizing him. Never knowing if I would make it to this level. But here I am and I’ve got him as one of my best supporters so far.”
It’s a full circle moment that shows just how long Hamlin’s been at the top level of the sport. And also how big his impact’s been on the next wave of talent. While the 700 number puts him alongside names like Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, what stands out more than just longevity is what Hamlin’s done beyond the driver’s seat.
Through 23XI, he’s given younger guys like Heim and Tyler Reddick a shot and left his mark on more than just stat sheets. “. It’s great to have someone like that in that role that owns the team. Someone you raced against that me and Bubba can also lean on.”
Teammates outside his own team have noticed, too. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell called Hamlin a pillar of Toyota’s success in NASCAR.
Hamlin’s been open about how tough the road was to get here and the sacrifices were real. That hustle eventually turned into 700 Cup starts. With 56 race wins, three Daytona 500 and now, a driver-development pipeline under his own roof.
Denny Hamlin is still chasing that first Cup title. But when the green flag drops in Nashville, he’ll already have something a trophy can’t buy: respect and admiration from the next generation.
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