Denny Hamlin reveals hilarious reason he didn’t attempt backflip after winning Darlington in Carl Edwards throwback

Denny Hamlin had no plans of doing a backflip after winning the NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington despite driving a Carl Edwards paint scheme. On Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, Hamlin explained to Kevin Harvick why he didn’t do a backflip after the victory.

“Me attempting a backflip would end my career immediately,” Denny Hamlin told Harvick. That sounds similar to what Harvick said right after winning the race on Sunday. “I’ll pass. If Carl is here, he’s more than welcome to jump off the car,” Hamlin told FOX Sports’ Jamie Little.

While speaking to reporters during his post-race press conference, Hamlin was asked if he had talked to Carl Edwards ahead of the race. “Well, I think he said, Don’t win this race, they might make you do a backflip. I said, There’s no chance,” Hamlin stated. I probably would break the back of my head because I wouldn’t even get full 180 flip, so… He’s way more athletic than I am in that sense.

More on Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards

“I just told him that it was an honor to carry the scheme because truthfully me and Carl probably talk more now or have talked more now that he’s out of the sport, we’re no longer teammates. That has been my relationship with most of my teammates, that the relationship grows after they’re gone. Really getting to know Carl, we’re so blessed to have him coming back to the sport in the TV role. Yeah, I’ve just had some great conversations with him.”

Hamlin and Edwards were teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing during Edwards’ final two seasons in the Cup Series (2015 and 2016). Both drivers were strong in those seasons, finishing in the top 10 in the Cup points standings.

Carl Edwards, who is known for doing a backflip after winning a race, retired after the 2016 season. He finished his career with 28 Cup Series race victories with 220 top-10 finishes. Some of his best wins were the 2015 Coca-Cola 500, 2015 Southern 500 and the 2011 All-Star Race. In 2023, Edwards was named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers. In February, the 45-year-old was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.