Denny Hamlin didn’t let anything — boos, tire issues, or even cucumbers — bother him at all Sunday during his NASCAR Cup Series race victory at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tenn.
Hamlin bested his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. late to win the Food City Dirt Race, which was largely defined by tire wear.
The tire issues on the track were so severe during the race that NASCAR issued each team an extra set of tires. Only five cars finished on the lead lap.
Hamlin in his No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE made the best of the brutal conditions. Sunday was Hamlin’s fourth victory at NASCAR’s famous bullring.
Hamlin, one of the sport’s biggest heels, received his usual assortment of boos as he celebrated his victory. He also got cucumbers thrown at him by some unhappy fans, which was a repeat of what happened the last time Hamlin won at Bristol last September.
The cucumbers made their way to Victory Lane! 🥒⚔️🏁#ItsBristolBaby #NASCAR #FoodCity500 pic.twitter.com/kRn1vvm8uR
— Bristol Motor Speedway (@ItsBristolBaby) March 18, 2024
Hamlin had a fitting response to the cucumber disrespect shown against him. He used the iconic Bristol gladiator sword to slice up one of the fan-thrown foods.
The sword works 🗡️🥒 https://t.co/CiUb0K536W pic.twitter.com/KATiStn7gk
— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) March 18, 2024
It’s far from the first time Hamlin has trolled fans after winning a NASCAR Cup Series race.
Hamlin secured himself a spot in the playoffs with his 52nd career Cup Series win.
