NASCAR star Denny Hamlin's Powerball ticket purchase in Arizona won him $50K

Jose R. Gonzalez
Arizona Republic
NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin (11) during Cup Series Championship qualifying at Phoenix Raceway, Nov. 6, 2021.

Saturday's Powerball drawing may make a millionaire out of an Arizonan, but NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin is happy with having scored $50,000 in November with a lottery ticket he bought while competing in Phoenix.

Hamlin, 41, detailed on his podcast, "Action Detrimental with Denny Hamlin," how he struck $50,000 after purchasing convenience store lottery tickets for friends in the $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot. Hamlin, who reportedly resides in North Carolina, was competing at the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Championship at the Phoenix Raceway.

Hamlin shared on the podcast that he was at the store fueling up when he bought $300 worth of lottery tickets. Hamlin said he scored the prize after a Nov. 7 drawing showed he matched five out of six numbers on the initial ticket from his purchase.

The estimated jackpot for the Powerball on Saturday is $45 million with a $22.9 million cash value, according to the Arizona Lottery.

Hamlin was one of nine people in Arizona who won $50,000 in that particular drawing, according to the Arizona Lottery. In the Feb. 20, March 1 and March 4 drawings, five people in the state won $50,000 in the Powerball, according to the Arizona Lottery.

“We were beside ourselves for a while, for sure,” Hamlin said of his win on the podcast. “So, needless to say, I love Phoenix, it just brings back good memories to me from hitting the Powerball last time I was there.” 

In 2020, Forbes listed Hamlin as the third-highest-earning NASAR driver, citing his total earnings at $14.6 million.