“It’s a huge honor”: Denny Hamlin reacts to being included in NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin loves being in the NASCAR limelight off late. The #11 Toyota Camry TRD driver is one of the most vocal drivers on the grid and has been known to call out both the good and the bad in the sport.

The Tampa native made headlines in NASCAR circles once again this week after being named one of the 75 greatest drivers to have competed in the sport. As a part of its 75th-anniversary celebrations, NASCAR has been adding drivers from the beginning of the sport to a list of 75.

These drivers, as the name suggests, are regarded as the greatest in the sport for their achievements as well as contributions to NASCAR.

One of the greatest achievements of the 42-year-old's career came in the form of his three Daytona 500 victories, one of the most coveted titles in racing. He also has a total of 48 Cup Series victories over his career in the sport.

Denny Hamlin also joined the exclusive club of only six drivers in the sport to have won the Daytona 500 three or more times. Reacting to his name being added to the list of 75 greatest drivers in NASCAR, Hamlin took to Twitter to show his gratitude and wrote:

"Results Instrumental. Thank you @NASCAR and the France Family for the call today. It’s a huge honor that I won’t take lightly."

The list also includes names such as Kyle Larson, Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart, to name a few.

Denny Hamlin rues difficulty in overtaking at Martinsville Speedway

Last Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at the Martinsville Speedway saw Denny Hamlin not in the best spirits despite finishing in a decent P4 finish. The NOCO 400 saw the #11 Toyota Camry TRD driver frustrated after getting out of his car due to difficulty in passing at the 0.5-mile-long track.

The 42-year-old elaborated on the issue and pointed to the short-track package as one of the causes and said:

"It's all track position. Racing is track position. This is the new NASCAR where these cars, you just cannot pass. You just get out front, don't mess up on pit road, don't mess up on strategy and you win."

Watch Denny Hamlin race this weekend during Sunday's GEICO 500 at the Talladega Superspeedway on April 23. The race goes live at 3:00 pm ET on FOX Sports.