Denny Hamlin pays tribute to 445-race Cup Series star with Darlington throwback

Denny Hamlin has paid tribute to 445-race Cup Series starter Carl Edwards with his paint scheme for Darlington's throwback weekend.

The paint scheme on Hamlin’s No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing is a replica of the iconic 2006-7 Office Depot design that Edwards ran during his time at Roush Fenway Racing.

It is a fitting driver to honor, too. Edwards earned 28 NASCAR Cup Series wins during his Cup Series career and was inducted into NASCAR’s Hall of Fame earlier this year after retiring from the sport eight years ago.

Hamlin revealed the new red livery on Instagram, where he referenced Edwards and wrote: “Darlington throwback. Cousin Carl.”

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Hamlin and others stun in throwback NASCAR liveries

Hamlin’s No. 11 paint scheme enters this weekend’s field with some tough competition when it comes to the design of the cars, with Josh Berry paying homage to not just NASCAR but motorsport history with his design.

Berry’s No. 21 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Wood Brothers Racing is a tribute to F1 and racing legend Jim Clark, who was a two-time F1 world champion and the 1965 Indy 500 winner.

The Wood Brothers worked with Lotus and Ford at the 1965 Indianapolis 500, and Berry’s car will adopt the racing green and yellow stripe that defined Lotus’ race car in the 1960s.

Elsewhere, Alex Bowman’s Hendrick Motorsports car will be transformed into the black livery of Jimmie Johnson's 2012 Southern 500 winner, and reigning champion Joey Logano will sport the yellow and red colors used by Cale Yarborough in 1976 to give his challenger a vintage NASCAR look.

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