Denny Hamlin enjoys a misty boating session as he relaxes his mind ahead of second playoff race at WWT Raceway

Denny Hamlin went for a misty boat ride on Lake Norman in North Carolina. He will be off to Madison, Illinois, at World Wide Technology Raceway this weekend for the second race of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

Hamlin currently ranks second in the playoff standings behind Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe, who won the postseason opener at Darlington Raceway last week. With a 43-point cushion above the cutline and a narrow five-point edge over Kyle Larson in third, Hamlin heads into Madison with some breathing room.

For now, though, Hamlin is soaking up the calm before the storm—relaxing on Lake Norman near his lavish mansion, which boasts luxuries like a racing simulator, bowling alley, and even a private dock for his boat.

Here’s a glimpse of his boat ride posted via Instagram on Friday.

History shows that World Wide Technology Raceway hasn’t been conquered by Hamlin yet. He’s finished runner-up in each of the last two events on the 1.25-mile track. Under NASCAR’s playoff format, a win in Madison would lock him into the Round of 12—and move him one step closer to his elusive first Cup Series championship.

The Enjoy Illinois 300 is happening on September 7 at 3:00 p.m. ET. If he falls short, the Round of 16 still wraps up at Bristol Motor Speedway, a place where Hamlin has already celebrated victory four times in the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

“Just execution”: Denny Hamlin on what Joe Gibbs Racing needs to race for the championship

Denny Hamlin stressed that execution will be the deciding factor for the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing team’s title hopes. While he believes they already have the speed to contend, he noted that delivering mistake-free races across the playoffs is what will ultimately determine whether they can capture the championship.

In an interview at Darlington Raceway last week, Hamlin said:

“Just execution, that is the only thing that I can think of. If it is going to be posted on speed, pit crew, all of those things. We are at the top of the list, certainly in the upper echelon that are going to be racing for the championship, but there is all the variables that we just don’t know about. Ill-timed cautions, you pit, green flag cycle, and someone crashes coming onto pit road, and a yellow comes out.”

The veteran NASCAR driver added:

“It changes the complete complexion of the race, so it is some of the things we can’t control and some the things we can. It is all of the other stuff. It is not speed. It is not qualifying. It is not long-term speed. We have all of those things. It is just other things involved in NASCAR racing that can take you out.”

With 58 wins to his name, Hamlin remains one of only two drivers in NASCAR history—alongside Junior Johnson—to surpass 50 career victories without yet securing a Cup championship.