A 7-year-old Denny Hamlin wrote a letter saying he wanted to be a Daytona 500 champion when he grows up

Denny Hamlin won his first Daytona 500 on Sunday with a final-lap surge that was one for the ages. It turns out Hamlin has been dreaming about this since he was in elementary school.

Shortly after the race, Hamlin's mother posted a photo of a letter written by Hamlin in 1987, according to Fox, when he was seven years old. The letter appears to be a typical school assignment in which the children are asked what they want to be when they grow up.

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Hamlin's answer? A Daytona 500 champion. Why? Because at seven years old, Hamlin just loved racing.

Here is the letter:

The letter reads as follows:

Hamlin was a little off with the year, the color of his car, and the makeup of his pit crew, but he got the important part right — he is now a Daytona 500 champion.

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