For anyone who thought the 44-year-old was nearing the end of his NASCAR Cup Series career, Friday's announcement proved otherwise. Denny Hamlin will continue driving the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota after signing a new, multi-year contract extension. Hamlin later revealed that it is a two-year deal, going through the 2027 season.
“Joe and everyone at JGR are family to me and have done so much for me over the last 20 years,” said Hamlin. “We’ve had a solid start to this season and we have been able to welcome some great new partners this year, so there are a lot of exciting things happening with our team not only now, but also into the future.”
Hamlin has been a JGR driver for the entirety of his NASCAR Cup career, dating back to 2005. Driving the No. 11, he has won 58 races, including a series-leading four this season. He earned his most recent victory just a few days ago, besting teammate Chase Briscoe at Dover.
While he's never won a championship, Hamlin is the most successful driver in NASCAR history without the crown. He sits eleventh on the all-time wins list, just two away from cracking the top-ten.
Hamlin is also a three-time winner of the Daytona 500, a three-time winner of the Southern 500, the 2022 Coca Cola 600 winner, and the 2015 winner of the All-Star Race.
I really appreciate Denny and everything he has meant to our organization,” said Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. ”It is just really special when you think about everything we’ve experienced over the past 20 years, from that first moment when J.D. (Gibbs) recognized his talent at a test session, until now. It is remarkable in any sport to compete at the level Denny has for this long and we are thrilled he has been able to spend his entire career with us.”
While driving for JGR, Hamlin also operates 23XI Racing as a co-owner of the team, alongside NBA legend Michael Jordan.
