For Denny Hamlin, watching his own car win the Daytona 500 wasn’t just a victory; it was a declaration of war against NASCAR’s old guard. While it wasn’t the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, Reddick’s No. 45 gave a different sort of satisfaction for the veteran racer. Even 23XI’s Bubba Wallace led the final stage, highlighting a perfect start for a team that was in the middle of a lawsuit just a few months ago. And now, Hamlin has set much higher targets for his team with the Daytona 500 out of the way.

Denny Hamlin aims to take over the Cup Series field

“We just felt like we were the next team. Like the next, we’re the next elite team. We’re done with that,” said Hamlin on the Actions Detrimental podcast. “We’re trying to infiltrate that, the old guard that is taking over the sport over the last few decades from their commitment, obviously, their heritage of knowing their winning pedigree.”

If the Daytona 500 is anything to go by, 23XI Racing has surely hit the ground running this season. They were not the most successful team last year, but the 2026 season has opened up perfectly, starting with ‘The Great American Race.’ However, taking over the throne from the ‘old guard’, the likes of Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, and even Team Penske, who have been very successful in the Next-Gen era, shows some serious ambition.

The ‘big three’ have dictated how the sport moves for decades. They have been championship winners, and nothing can change history. But Denny Hamlin feels that with Michael Jordan as a co-owner and his own strong racing background, 23XI can become the next big thing.

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“They’ve got the best people, great drivers. It’s hard, really, really hard to overtake those guys, but we want to be one of the teams that can challenge that weekend week out. We don’t want to go to the racetrack thinking, well, our expectation should be 10 to 12 because surely all the Gibbs and Hendrick and Penske cars are going to be one through 10 on speed,” he added.

Hamlin has his eyes on the prize. But his strong statement does raise a question: At 45, time is running out for the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran. And after last year’s heartbreak at Phoenix Raceway, what does the future hold for the No. 11 driver?

How does Hamlin’s racing future look?

Denny Hamlin has been racing for Joe Gibbs Racing for the past two decades. He is a proven Daytona 500 winner and also a strong contender, but has never managed to win the Cup Series championship. 

As of now, there is simply no way that 23XI Racing will be strong enough to be an issue for Hamlin or anyone else within the Big 3. While the latter battle for championships, 23XI settles for race wins. But Hamlin’s statements prove that he wants the team to do a lot better.

“Not right now,” Hamlin once said in 2025, addressing his retirement rumors. He is still in his prime, and he almost won the title last year. But it wouldn’t be wrong to assume that his future lies in team ownership. His actions confirm his long-term focus is on team ownership.

His investments in 23XI, purchasing the third charter, the Race Shop (dubbed AirSpeed), speak for themselves. Just like Jimmie Johnson, who is focusing on Legacy Motor Club, Hamlin can go a similar route. However, the only difference is that the Virginia-native started the team from scratch and managed to make it far more competitive than Johnson.

So it wouldn’t be surprising to see Hamlin putting himself full-time into 23XI’s development as he plans to take over the Big Three on the current field. Until then, however, he would have to hope that neither of his cars interferes with his championship chances. After all, one can’t help but feel that 2026 may be his one last shot at the Bill France Cup.