As the dust settled on another failed NASCAR title bid by Denny Hamlin, everybody was feeling the pain. Nobody more than his fiancee Jordan Fish.

The 44-year-old Hamlin had a terrific 2025 season, taking his career tally of Cup Series race wins up to 60. But when it mattered, once again that elusive championship slipped through his fingers.

The Joe Gibbs Racing star led for 208 laps on Sunday, and he appeared headed to a first title until a fateful restart with just three laps remaining saw him lose valuable positions.

The decision to put four new tires on Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota would be the topic of heated debate postrace, with most of his rivals electing for just two. Those rivals included the eventual champion Kyle Larson.

Hamlin’s agony was only enhanced by the fact he was trying to win that title for his terminally ill father Dennis. He was too ill to attend the race in person.

Jordan Fish on another near miss for Denny

The word that came through from just about everybody in the Hamlin camp after what went down in Arizona was ‘numb’. Fish, the mother of Denny's children, used it in her own moving Instagram message after the race.

“Words can’t really express how I feel rn. Numb may be,” she wrote.

“My heart and body physically ache for Denny and his entire team. Watching him put in countless hours, years and two decades worth of hard work and dedication for a sport he loves so incredibly much, just to fall short once again, is absolutely heart wrenching. This sport can really make you feel on top of the world one second, and in the bottom of the trenches in the other. I’m tired, I’m sad, I feel defeated. I wish the outcome was different. I’m confident Denny did all he could yesterday, and for that I am so proud of him.”

'I'm sad for his dad'

Jordan referenced Hamlin’s ailing father in her post, adding: “I’m sad for his dad, who probably won’t get to witness his son accomplish his dream. However, I am faithful that God has a plan, even though it may be hard to see. The story isn’t over, it’s just still being written. Thank you for your messages, thank you for your kindness, and thank you for always supporting our family.”