Denny Hamlin, entering the upcoming Denny Hamlin Daytona 500 season, is eager for a fresh start after facing both professional and personal hurdles in recent months. The veteran driver, based out of Daytona Beach, Florida, is preparing to return to full form as one of NASCAR’s most resilient competitors, setting his sights on the season opener at Daytona International Speedway and the ultimate prize when the new Chase championship format returns in September.
The previous season saw Hamlin, now 45, fiercely chasing his first NASCAR Cup Series championship. At the Phoenix Raceway finale, he controlled much of the event, leading 208 of 319 laps and claiming the second stage win. Yet, when victory was within reach, late-race circumstances snatched the title from his grasp, leaving Hamlin with what he later described as a heartbreaking outcome.
As he worked to put that defeat behind him, Hamlin endured a harrowing personal loss: his father, Dennis Hamlin, died following injuries from a house fire on December 28, while his mother, Mary Lou Hamlin, suffered severe injuries in the same incident. The aftermath has understandably slowed his offseason preparations, but Hamlin remains convinced his competitive fire will be fully stoked by fall’s Chase championship.
“We’re kind of getting back into the swing of things,”
Hamlin said Wednesday during DAYTONA 500 Media Day interviews at Daytona International Speedway. Certainly, would be lying if I said I was as highly motivated as I have been in years past, but I think that—I said it last week—it would just take some time. — Denny Hamlin, Driver
“And I think that every day at the race track is certainly getting there. I know I’m way too competitive to just go through the motions. So, as we get on the racetrack, go through practices and qualifying, we’re slowly getting there.”
— Denny Hamlin, Driver
Hamlin credits team owner Joe Gibbs for helping him cope during the difficult period, sharing heartfelt gratitude for Gibbs’ immediate support and personal mentorship, something Hamlin leaned on deeply the night of his father’s passing.
“I mean, Joe beat me to the hospital the night of,”
Hamlin said. The guy is just unbelievable in how he is as a leader, and obviously he has been through it (with the loss of sons J.D. Gibbs and Coy Gibbs). — Denny Hamlin, Driver
“So, my connection really on that personal level is more so with Joe, and it’s always been that way since he kind of took over as my at-track dad.”
— Denny Hamlin, Driver
As opening day at Daytona approaches, Hamlin’s determination is undimmed. He is vying to capture his fourth Daytona 500 win—a feat achieved only by legendary names like Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough. Hamlin’s mix of pain, resolve, and support from the likes of Gibbs positions him as both a sentimental favorite and a legitimate contender to start the season strong.
Connor Zilisch Prepares for High-Pressure DAYTONA 500 Debut
While Hamlin is returning under emotional circumstances, young Connor Zilisch headlines the crop of drivers making their full-time NASCAR Cup Series debut this Denny Hamlin Daytona 500 season. Zilisch, known for his road racing prowess, earned significant accolades early in his career, including a class win at the 24 Hour of Daytona—earned before reaching legal driving age. In 2025, he smashed records in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, bagging 10 victories, finishing runner-up in the championship, and clinching Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors.
Zilisch now joins Trackhouse Racing, piloting the No. 88 Chevrolet, and enters the season’s premier event as both a fan favorite and a target for high expectations—expectations that come not only from fans but also from a racing community anxious to witness how his road-racing skill set adapts to stock cars. Four years ago, Zilisch was just another fan in the Daytona grandstands; now, he’s on the grid, hoping to complete all 500 miles and possibly make history as the youngest winner of the Great American Race.
“I appreciate the excitement, I think it’s really cool that there’s a lot of people excited to watch how I’m going to do this season, whether it’s fans or media,”
said Zilisch, who finished 27th in the 2025 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season opener at Daytona, after being collected in a late-race multi-car accident. — Connor Zilisch, Driver
“I do think it sometimes gets a little outlandish… a lot of people maybe expecting a lot of me in my first year. I don’t think people realize how big of a jump it is from Saturday to Sunday. But I try not to pay too much attention to it. I know what my personal goals are throughout the year. I know what I want to accomplish and my long-term goals. I find it cool mostly.”
— Connor Zilisch, Driver
Chase Elliott Endorses the Return to the Classic Chase Format
In addition to driver storylines, this season’s championship will see the reimplementation of the 10-race Chase format, a change that has prompted positive responses from prominent drivers—most notably, Chase Elliott. While his last name echoes the new structure’s title, Elliott’s enthusiasm stems from a belief in preserving NASCAR’s unique traditions, rather than aligning with broader sporting norms.
“Motorsports is just a little different, and I think we’ve spent an awful lot of time trying to be like everybody else,”
Elliott said on Wednesday during DAYTONA 500 Media Day at Daytona International Speedway. I’m really proud of leadership of saying, ‘Hey look, let’s be us and let’s go do our own thing.’ — Chase Elliott, Driver
“The Chase format was really unlike anything else in sports that I could remember at that time when it came out. Very genuine, very original. I think it fits. It never felt like a playoff to me, and not because of my name, but ‘The Chase’ does sound good. It sounds like racing. It sounds like a racing term.”
— Chase Elliott, Driver
This new-old format is expected to reenergize competition and perhaps deliver a more unpredictable road to the championship, with seasoned drivers and rising talents jockeying for position through the series’ closing stretch.
Kyle Busch’s Quest for a First Daytona 500 Win Continues
Kyle Busch, already a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and the winningest driver in the sport’s three major national circuits, faces a unique milestone in 2025. Despite decades of dominance—including career wins at Daytona in the Cup, O’Reilly Auto Parts, and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series—Busch has yet to win the sport’s crown jewel, the Daytona 500, after 20 attempts.
The Las Vegas native enters his 21st start at the Great American Race appreciating what it takes to succeed at Daytona, where track position and luck intersect like nowhere else. Notably, Busch’s record at the speedway already includes a third-place finish in 2016, in a race won by Denny Hamlin, then his teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing.
“Coming to Daytona, as you’re coming in (to your career) maybe four, five years in, you’re a young guy, you’re pumped up and amped for the DAYTONA 500,”
Busch explained. As you go on through the years, you’ve got to figure out a way to be in the right ‘mind place’ and figure out how to go out there, excel and be in the right place at the right time (to win). — Kyle Busch, Driver
“Being able to win Daytona, that’s obviously sort of the last box to check in my career, and getting that done would be a lot of fun,”
he added, breaking into a wide grin.
“We’d celebrate that really, really big.”
— Kyle Busch, Driver
Busch’s continued pursuit exemplifies the unpredictable, challenging nature of Daytona, where seasoned champions can still find themselves chasing that elusive first-place trophy.
Brad Keselowski Returns from Injury, Eager for Daytona Challenge
Brad Keselowski is set to return to racing after suffering a broken leg during a family ski vacation in mid-December. Arriving at Media Day aided by a cane bearing sponsorship stickers for his Roush Fenway Keselowski Ford, Keselowski acknowledged both the pain of his recovery and the support he has received as he works to regain his edge.
“I knew I was probably going to get picked on a little bit,”
said Keselowski, who was cleared on Feb. 9 to race in the DAYTONA 500 after skipping the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium.
“So, I might as well just at some point own it. I won’t say it (the decals) was my idea, but I actually thought it was a good one.”
— Brad Keselowski, Driver
He explained that the femur injury was far more severe than a previous broken ankle sustained years ago in competition, describing a moment after the recent accident that left him reflecting on the severity of the pain.
“When I was laying on the ground and I was completely immobile immediately after I broke my leg, what was going through my mind was like, ‘Oh my God.’ Like, think about the soldiers in the Civil War,”
Keselowski shared.
“Like, they just would cut their leg off right here.”
— Brad Keselowski, Driver
“And I understood why they would do it, because it hurt so bad. It was by far the worst pain I’ve ever went through. I get why they would bring out the hacksaw. There was a part of me that was like, that might actually feel better.”
— Brad Keselowski, Driver
Despite the adversity, Keselowski expects to compete at Daytona, with David Ragan on standby as a relief driver, and sports car standout Joey Hand preparing as backup for later road course challenges. His determination adds another compelling subplot to a season already brimming with ambition and recovery narratives.
A Season Poised for Emotional Comebacks and New Chapter
The 2025 Denny Hamlin Daytona 500 season is set to open with storylines rich in emotion and anticipation. Established stars like Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch, each seeking historic milestones, will share the track with rising phenoms such as Connor Zilisch, all under the renewed drama of NASCAR’s Chase format. Meanwhile, veterans like Brad Keselowski provide examples of resilience through injury and adversity, supported by trusted teammates and historic team owners such as Joe Gibbs.
As the engines come to life at Daytona International Speedway, fans can expect a year filled with high stakes and compelling personal journeys. With every lap, contenders will be racing not just for the checkered flag, but for redemption, breakthrough victories, and, for some, a chance to inscribe their names among the legends of the Great American Race.
