“I’ve only got two more chances at this — damn it.” Denny Hamlin said these words earlier in August, reflecting on his two-year extension contract with Joe Gibbs Racing. Back in 2010, the JGR veteran said that he would race only until 37 or 38 years old. But he is 44 now, and Hamlin does not show any sign of stopping, while being in pursuit of that elusive Cup Series championship. Yet even amidst NASCAR’s recent update, retirement may still be a topic for Hamlin.

In 2017, NASCAR instituted a rule for Cup Series drivers, limiting their presence in lower-tier series. The limit of races run in Xfinity and Trucks was kept at 7, and that went down to 5 by 2020. This season, however, executives are speculating on raising that number again. Although this presents a good chance for Denny Hamlin, he may not be too interested.

Denny Hamlin shrugs at new opportunity

Before 2017, Cup Series drivers used to dominate the lower tiers. Kyle Busch picked up 20+ race trophies in a season, and that is how he is still the all-time record holder in Xfinity (102) and Trucks (67). With O’Reilly Auto Parts coming aboard as the new title sponsor for NASCAR’s second tier, the sport is considering allowing drivers to win like Busch again.

This presents good opportunities for regular contenders like Ross Chastain (who has maxed out his five attempts in Xfinity and Trucks), Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, and others. However, for Denny Hamlin, the development did not evoke much excitement.

The 58-time Cup Series race-winning driver ties Kyle Busch for most wins under JGR. However, Denny Hamlin’s 18 Xfinity wins and 3 Craftsman Truck wins pale in front of Busch’s monstrous stats. What is more, Hamlin knows he cannot with JGR focusing on his Cup Series future.

He said in a recent ‘Actions Detrimental’ episode: “I’d love to. Obviously, we let this one slip. But they need to find a sponsor. If JGR had the opportunity to put me in an Xfinity car, don’t you think they would do it? But they gotta go find a sponsor. They can’t afford to just put me in a car. That’s what’s crazy.” Yet Hamlin slipped out a wish clouded by his 20-year-old career: “I want my last one, but I’m retired for now.”

In 2004, Denny Hamlin made both his Truck debut and Xfinity debut, and his Cup Series entry came in 2005. He has a good history in both tiers, driving for JGR’s cars. And despite slipping out his intentions to retire soon, Hamlin still tried to motivate potential sponsors. He continued, “I mean, winning doesn’t mean that much to me. Does anybody wanna sponsor me? …I just wanna run one. But I just envy how the Xfinity cars draft. I love the spacing between the cars and how you can move. Uh, I wanna do it, just one more time.” 

While Denny Hamlin makes up his mind on whether to retire or race more in NASCAR, the sport is changing. This overhaul is attractive to Hamlin and other Cup drivers, but dismal for an Xfinity team owner.

The problems in mixing crowds

NASCAR’s announcement spun off a debate among industry veterans. This mainly revolved around whether having the sport’s cream of the crop come beat less experienced opponents helps the Xfinity and Truck full-timers hone their skills. Or does it just lead to dull wins for Cup drivers in mismatched competitions? Dale Earnhardt Jr. also chipped in on this conversation, revealing the reality.

He said that every team owner begins each season with a solid plan. From the position their drivers could finish in a season to the total expenses incurred, everything factors into their planning. With premier-level drivers like Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell racing, the financially incapable outfits find it hard to grab top positions.

Hence, Dale Earnhardt Jr. threw a shade at NASCAR reversing its limitation. He reflected on past times when Kyle Busch or Carl Edwards used to dominate Xfinity: “When Kyle Busch quit running 25 races a year, right? Or you know, Carl Edwards and all these other guys, when they stopped running all these races and winning half of them or more, teams like ours started winning races. To go backwards would be tough for us. I encourage competition, and I think it’d be good if they could run more, but there’s a balance.”

We do not know yet when NASCAR will loosen its racing rules for Cup Series drivers. Despite Dale Jr.’s qualms, it would benefit Cup veterans like Denny Hamlin nonetheless.