Hamlin takes it back to his roots, unveils throwback Darlington scheme

SHOP: Darlington gear Denny Hamlin remembers going to Southside Speedway every Friday night growing up in the 1980s. The short track was Hamlin’s "home" track, located a short distance from Hamlin's childhood Chesterfield, Virginia, home. There, he would watch Roy Hendrick put on a show on the .333-mile oval. And it would be Roy's father, Ray Hendrick, known as "Mr. Modified" who piloted the iconic Flying 11, who would serve as the inspiration for Hamlin's No. 11 Toyota’s throwback scheme this year at Darlington Raceway. "I never know a whole lot about the history of his dad and him being "Mr. Modified," so I was thinking, 'Well I need to find out a little more about his dad,' " Hamlin told NASCAR.com on his choice to use the Flying 11 as his throwback scheme for Darlington. "So, I did a little bit of research; (he was) Mr. Modified, (with) over 700 victories on the short tracks. Got to thinking that, 'hey, I'm a short track guy myself' -- why not throw it back to someone that I idolized … and bring back the Flying 11." A red coupe with a signature wing on the side panels, Ray Hendrick piloted the iconic Flying 11 in the 60s, recording more than 700 wins on primarily modified and late model sportsman racing tracks. A multi-faceted driver, Hendrick also dipped his toe into both the NASCAR XFINITY and Monster Energy Series, notching two top fives in the premier series and three top-five finishes in the XFINITY Series. He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2007, 17 years after passing away in 1990. For Hamlin, getting this throwback scheme right was of the upmost importance; he even requested that Joe Gibbs Racing send him vinyl before wrapping the car to make sure it was up to par. The design process is something Hamlin has been a part of every year for Darlington since the track began hosting its throwback weekend. "I think it was great that Sports Clips has allowed me to help out with the design process and pick out which car I want to throw back to each and every year," Hamlin said. "Not a whole lot of sponsors allow you to do that. For me, this one's extra special because it involves my roots in racing and where I grew up … "Getting every detail is what’s important, all the way to making sure your fire suit looks the same to what the throwback scheme was. That was important." For that, Hamlin enlisted the help of Hendrick Motorsports team owner Rick Hendrick, who also has a connection to Hamlin’s throwback scheme; Rick and his father Papa Joe Hendrick (no relation to Roy or Ray Hendrick) both served as volunteer crew members for Ray Hendrick in the 1960s. "I actually had Rick Hendrick send me a picture of Ray's suit to make sure that it was exactly correct." Hamlin said. Hendrick is also helping him with another facet in the throwback project, as Hamlin is working on getting the restored Flying 11 coupe to Darlington on Labor Day weekend. Adding another historical element to the mix, Hamlin has invited all the winning No. 11 drivers to attend the race for a photo opportunity. With a record-setting 210 victories, the No. 11 remains the winningest car number in NASCAR, its list of drivers including Junior Johnson, Cale Yarborough, Bill Elliott, Buddy Baker and Bobby Allison. "When I think about all the historic drivers and Hall of Fame drivers that have driven the No. 11 -- I mean, 210 wins is amazing -- and to me, to be able to have the opportunity to have all those race winners in the 11 go to the race track and have a photo opp with them … listen, I'm just the small guy in the corner," Hamlin said with a smile. "I won't be front and center in that photo because there's so many historic great drivers and champions that have driven the 11 before me. "…We have a long list and we’re trying to get probably the last two guys to be there. Trust me, when you're trying to get Mario Andretti to a race track, it’s pretty tough. But knowing the company and the drivers that have driven it, it's the who's who of all racing." For Hamlin, getting a win in this special paint scheme with a group of elite No. 11 drivers watching would be the perfect ending to his throwback weekend. He's certainly got the stats to boot at "The Track Too Tough to Tame;" the 36-year-old has one win at Darlington (2010) and has finished nine of his 11 races there in the top 10. This car "needs to be" in Victory Lane, he said. "It would mean a lot to me," Hamlin said. "For me to have the input and wanting to throw it back particularly to the short track days and the short track roots, it would (be) extra special to me. "It's a race track that we've had a lot of success at over the last few years and throughout my career. It's where I got my first start with JGR in the early 2000s, and so it's a special weekend, one that we will definitely focus on."