Not only is Denny Hamlin a force to be reckoned with in the pursuit of his first NASCAR Cup Series championship, but he’s proven to be willing and able to rock the boat every once in a while and have some fun along the way.
For example, take a look Hamlin’s costume preparation Travis Scott concert in Charlotte, North Carolina on Wednesday.
related: Who is Hailie Deegan, the newest driver in the NASCAR Xfinity Series?
After dressing up in countless options, including a surprising fishing suit paired with an ill-fitting bucket hat and fishing vest, Hamlin ended up donning a black racing suit — but this was no ordinary racing suit .Pay tribute to the Chicago Bulls six-time championship team — NBA GOAT and Hamlin’s 23XI Racing Partner — Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 stepped out at Spectrum Center in a gorgeous racing suit that featured multiple iterations of the iconic Air Jordan Jumpman logo on legs, shoulders and chest.
As NASCAR’s undisputed sneaker leader, Hamlin anchored his look in a mix of NBA and NASCAR themes, complete with some glittery ice cubes hanging around his neck and a pair of sleek black and yellow Air Force 1s on his feet. It is one of the nearly 500 pairs of new shoes he has on display. On the wall behind him in a video he posted on X (formerly Twitter).
“Travis concert tonight,” Hamlin wrote. “Choose what fits.” He added in the comment, “Have everyone I go wearing one of these options.”
While some poor soul on Hamlin’s team may have been forced to don Hamlin’s silly fishing suit, the driver’s choice of a black and yellow Jumpman-style racing suit instantly won over several fans.
related: NASCAR superstar exits playoffs early after round 12
“OMG Danny is competing this year,” one fan posted. Another wrote, “Obviously the cleanest guy of the bunch,” while someone else declared, “This is why Danny is the undisputed GOAT.”
While Hamlin still has a few championships to win and is even close to being considered the GOAT — including his first championship, which many believe may be on the horizon — there’s no denying his connection to Jordan Brand Close connection.
Michael Jordan talks with Denny Hamlin during the NASCAR Cup Series Ally 400 qualifying race at Nashville Superspeedway on June 24, 2023 in Lebanon, Tennessee. Photo: Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Although Hamlin co-owns 23XI Racing with Jordan, he is still employed by JGR, so his race-day charisma and Or his teammate Bubba Wallace, both racing under the 23XI Racing banner. That means all of Redick’s flashy athletic gear is off-limits to Hamlin, and he’s had his eye on it for a while.
After winning the Bristol playoff, his 51Yingshi A career win and an event Jordan attended, all Hamlin wanted to talk about was the jump-man gear and paint scheme Redick often used.
related: Kyle Larson on why Sprint Cars are so important to him
“I became a fan at practice,” Hamlin revealed after Bristol’s victory in the final round of 16, according to Sportskeeda. “Take a picture of Tyler Reddick’s suit. Make sure I can get that suit after this weekend. The crossover they’re doing is really cool.”
“I get jealous of the paint scheme sometimes, jealous of the MJ stuff that Taylor can run,” Hamlin added. “We’re still partners. Michael sees us winning, just like he does with our racing team. He said he has three chances to win every weekend, so this time he won.”
Hamlin was considered by many to be the best driver yet to win a championship, but he turned things around this year. Winning has been one of the secrets to Hamlin’s resurgence this season, and he complemented his playoff win at Bristol with victories in the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway and the HighPoint.com 400 at Pocono Raceway , where he passed NASCAR legend Junior Johnson. He currently sits in third place on the leaderboard with 13 top-five finishes and 4,032 points, just four points behind Martin Truex Jr. in second and William A. William Byron scored 9 points.
The Tampa native is one of the Cup Series’ elite drivers and has secured a spot in the Elite Eight, which kicks off this weekend’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.