NASCAR‘s two leading men on the standings, Tyler Reddick and Denny Hamlin, made a little wager ahead of last week’s Cup Series race in Nashville. After Hamlin reached the checkered flag first, he won the bet. Now, he’s enjoying the benefits.
Taking to X, Hamlin revealed that he and Reddick made a bet that if he won the Cracker Barrel 400 that Reddick would have to put a “Denny Bros” sticker on his No. 45 car for the upcoming race in Michigan. He included a video of the sticker being affixed to Reddick’s car as Reddick looked on, unamused.
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“45 team made a bet. If I won Nashville, the Denny Bros get a piece of the 45. Today we collected,” Hamlin wrote.
Hamlin vs. Reddick
According to On3, the origin of the bet was Reddick’s car chief Michael “Rambo” Hobson appearing on Hamlin’s podcast and wagering that if Hamlin won the race in Nashville, Hobson would wear an “11 Against The World” shirt on top of the “Denny Bros” sticker for the No. 45 car.
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Had Reddick won the race, Hamlin’s podcast co-host Travis Rockhold would have had to wear gear from Reddick’s 23XI Racing team, and Hobson would have gotten free air time on Hamlin’s podcast.
Nov 1, 2025; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin (11) during qualifying at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images© Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
The 2026 Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway was won by Hamlin, who survived a late restart and led a dominant performance by Joe Gibbs Racing. Hamlin captured his second victory of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, his first career win at Nashville, and the 62nd Cup Series victory of his career.
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Joe Gibbs Racing swept the top three positions. Hamlin finished first, followed by teammate Christopher Bell in second and Chase Briscoe in third. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished fourth, while Shane van Gisbergen rounded out the top five.
The race featured strong performances from Joe Gibbs Racing throughout the evening. Hamlin started from the pole position after qualifying was canceled due to weather and controlled much of the race before holding off Bell by just over a tenth of a second at the finish.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Jun 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the NASCAR section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
