Denny Hamlin is not one to shrink back from stirring the pot. The 44-year-old NASCAR Cup Sequence driver earned his 57th profession victory Sunday at Michigan Worldwide Speedway within the FireKeepers On line casino 400 — then wasted no time flaunting his Ohio State Buckeyes fandom in entrance of a crowd probably crammed with Michigan Wolverines followers. After taking the checkered flag and wrapping up his post-race interview on the observe, Hamlin delivered a pointed “O-H” arm gesture towards the stands.
Hamlin, who grew up in Virginia, has totally embraced his self-proclaimed bandwagon Ohio State allegiance this season, even throwing a “Horns Down” gesture throughout driver introductions at Texas Motor Speedway for the Wurth 400 in Could. He attended each the Faculty Soccer Playoff semifinal on the Cotton Bowl when Ohio State defeated Texas, 28-14, and the Buckeyes’ nationwide championship recreation victory towards Notre Dame, 34-23, in January.
NASCAR at Michigan outcomes: Denny Hamlin prevails in gas mileage duel for his third win of the season
Steven Taranto
Though Hamlin loved the trolling, his antics did not pan out effectively at Texas Motor Speedway, the place his race ended on Lap 75 after an engine blowout despatched his automobile up in flames.
“Texas acquired me again,” Hamlin stated throughout his “Actions Detrimental” podcast. “That did not final lengthy for me. Finally, the karma caught up fairly shortly.”
Not solely did he hit the Michigan trustworthy with the “O-H” gesture, however he additionally broke out his favourite zinger — a line his personal father urged him to retire for sounding too cocky.
“Daddy, I am sorry, however I beat your favourite driver of us,” Hamlin instructed the group. “… All of them.”
The Michigan-Ohio State rivalry is arguably probably the most intense in faculty soccer — and one of many fiercest throughout all American sports activities. Identified merely as “The Recreation,” the annual matchup dates again greater than a century, crammed with numerous heated moments. After the Wolverines secured their fourth consecutive win towards the Buckeyes in November, a chaotic altercation broke out on the sector at Ohio Stadium, forcing legislation enforcement to make use of pepper spray to disperse the unruly group of gamers.