For someone who has spent more than 20 years with Joe Gibbs Racing, Denny Hamlin understands the organization better than anyone. As Hamlin looks up to Joe Gibbs as a second father, their racing relationship goes back a long way; however, as a team, Hamlin cannot help but pull back the curtain on what keeps JGR alive. Fast forward to today, and as the No. 11 driver and the broader team celebrate their 35th anniversary, the 45-year-old didn’t hesitate to reveal Gibbs’ secret.

And when Denny Hamlin talks about Joe Gibbs Racing, he doesn’t start with statistics or trophies. He starts with Joe Gibbs himself.

“But just, you know, I see a little bit how other teams are run and how JGR is run. And the one thing you cannot replicate is Joe’s love of the sport. And, and, and I know there are a lot of owners that have been around even longer than him that do love the sport, but it’s all that he does. It’s all that his family does,” he said in conversation with NASCAR Live. 

For Hamlin, that passion is the difference. Gibbs isn’t a distant owner. He is present, invested, and deeply involved.

After winning three Super Bowls as an NFL head coach, he founded JGR in 1992 and built it around accountability, loyalty, and long-term relationships. Drivers and crew members often describe the organization as a family.

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And that culture has helped JGR remain steady through rule changes, new car models, and shifting playoff formats.

The results back it up. Since entering the Cup Series, JGR has collected more than 200 race wins and 5 Cup championships. Titles have come with Bobby Labonte, Tony Stewart, and Kyle Busch, while drivers like Hamlin have added to the win total year after year.

In 2019, the organization delivered one of its strongest seasons ever, winning 19 cup races, reflecting depth across its lineup rather than a single dominant car.

JGR has also become one of the most consistent organizations in the modern era. It has delivered elite-level performance across multiple driver generations and remains competitive despite major changes in the sport, including the introduction of the next-gen car.

A few teams in NASCAR have evolved while continuing to win at that level.

Now in 2026, Joe Gibbs Racing celebrates its 35th anniversary. What began as a single-car operation has grown into one of NASCAR’s flagship teams with success across national series competition.

Through it all, the foundation has remained the same: an owner whose commitment to racing isn’t seasonal or symbolic. According to Hamlin, that’s the one advantage other teams cannot copy.

However, as the 2026 season is underway, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver is already flagged as a favorite for the most-awaited Daytona 500.

Hamlin emerges as Daytona 500 favorite

Denny Hamlin isn’t just opening the 2026 NASCAR season; he’s staring down a place in racing immortality.

As the spotlight shifts to Daytona International Speedway this week, the stakes feel larger than just another season opener. When the green flag drops, Hamlin will have a chance to do something only two legends have ever accomplished.

A victory in Sunday’s Daytona 500 would give the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran his fourth win in the Great American Race, tying him with icons Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough as the only drivers in history to reach that mark. That kind of company does not just elevate a résumé, it reshapes a legacy.

Unsurprisingly, oddsmakers see him squarely in the hunt. Hamlin enters the season opener at +1400, making him the fifth favorite behind Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, and William Byron. Yet if history has shown anything, it is that Hamlin thrives under the bright Florida sun, especially when expectations are at their highest.

To understand why he remains such a threat, one need only look back. His three Daytona 500 triumphs in 2016, 2019, and 2020 are etched into NASCAR lore. The 2016 finish, in particular, remains the closest in race history, as Hamlin edged Martin Truex Jr. by a razor-thin 0.010 seconds in a photo finish that still gives fans chills.

That consistency at the sport’s biggest event places him in rare territory. With three victories, he currently ranks among an elite group alongside Bobby Allison, Dale Jarrett, and Jeff Gordon. Among active full-time drivers, only Hamlin and Byron own multiple Daytona wins. In fact, just 13 drivers in NASCAR history have conquered the famed superspeedway more than once, underscoring how difficult sustained success at Daytona truly is.

All of this sets the stage for what lies ahead. With a revamped point system and playoff format ushering in a new era, Hamlin’s pursuit of a long-awaited first Cup Series championship begins anew. A fourth trophy on Sunday would not just make history. It could also provide the early-season momentum he needs for the title run he has been chasing his entire career.