Denny Hamlin’s Cup career spans roughly 20 years, beginning with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2005 when he debuted in the Busch Series and earned full-time Cup status in 2006. Over that period, he has collected 57 Cup wins, including three Daytona 500 victories—most memorably the 2016 photo finish by 0.010 seconds over Martin Truex Jr., the closest in race history since 1959. His 57th win at Michigan was indeed huge, edging him closer to that top 10 all-time win list, but with every passing weekend, Hamlin knows he’s got limited time until he is competitive.

At 44, he is the oldest running Cup Series driver, and his longevity can be compared to Mark Martin or Kevin Harvick. While Hamlin’s ardent fans would like him to race for five more years, citing Mark’s journey, that is a stretch given how racing has changed. “It feels good because I’m going to hate it when I’m not at the level I’m at now. I will certainly retire very quickly after that,” Hamlin said in an interview.

The good thing is Denny Hamlin is still in the hunt for the championship. Compared to the likes of Brad Keselowski or Kyle Busch, he is the old dog who is able the match the strides with young talent. But, even for a decorated driver like Hamlin, his future in the Cup Series is far from secured, as on-track performance isn’t the only factor that keeps the driver afloat; sponsorship plays a big part. With FedEx calling it quits, the #11 team was without the anchor sponsor, and there were questions surrounding Hamlin’s future within the team.

Credit to JGR, they brought in National Debt Relief and Progressive Insurance to fill those gaps, and now the #11 car has a new sponsor. “JGR has signed a multi-year agreement with @MyBobs to sponsor @dennyhamlin’s No. 11 Toyota in the NASCAR Cup Series including their first primary race at Iowa Speedway on August 3.” That is a big shot in the arm for Hamlin and the #11 team as another sponsor bolsters their team in a multi-year deal.

NEWS 🚨

JGR has signed a multi-year agreement with @MyBobs to sponsor @dennyhamlin’s No. 11 Toyota in the NASCAR Cup Series including their first primary race at Iowa Speedway on August 3. pic.twitter.com/8AXJX4Bw5P

— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) June 18, 2025

Hamlin is in his contract year and has not signed an extension with JGR. Sponsorship is likely to be the missing link of the puzzle, as on the performance side of things, he is still firing on all cylinders. “Working on it, Should be something done somewhat soon.” Hamlin was quoted as saying on Athletic’s free agency report. However, the fans had already started connecting the dots and expected an official announcement soon.

One fan commented, “Multi-year….no retirement talks for many more years 👐👐👐👐,” reflecting relief at the sponsorship news and expectation of Hamlin’s continued presence. Indeed, multi-year sponsor deals for a veteran driver often signal team confidence in ongoing performance and marketability.

Has Denny Hamlin found his new anchor sponsor?

A fan asked, “Does this basically mean Hamlin extended?” Such speculation is grounded in industry practice: drivers typically secure extensions when primary sponsorship is locked in. Historically, Hamlin’s contracts with JGR have aligned with season-to-season sponsor renewals, e.g., his Progressive deal in March 2025 coincided with a contract covering that year. The Bob’s Discount Furniture multi-year deal suggests a similar pattern: fans reasonably infer that Hamlin’s seat is secured for upcoming seasons, justifying their assumption.

Another fan proclaimed, “Confirmed! Hamlin’s back next year (I hope).” Statistically, Hamlin remains a top-10 points contender most seasons, and sponsors invest accordingly. Hamlin is a hot commodity. He races up front, bags multiple wins a year, connects with the racing community and has a good presence on social media as well. Hamlin ticks all the check boxes for a sponsor to invest in a driver, and the soon-to-be 45-year-old is an influential figure in NASCAR.

“I would love to know the $$$ details of this deal. Joe, would it have really been that terrible to get $10M less a season to keep Mars/FedEx?” This fan clearly hasn’t moved past the timeline when Mars Inc. left NASCAR, and thus it forced Kyle Busch out of the team ahead of 2023. Hamlin could’ve faced a similar fate, but thanks to Progressive and now Bob’s furniture, he is likely to extend his stay with the #11 team.

“I’m glad to see them still inking new sponsorship deals for Denny, sports are a lot better with him in it, and I would absolutely hate to see a lack of sponsorship deraill his career like it (at least in part) did with my guy.” This Kyle Busch fan is glad that Hamlin pulled through despite the concerns earlier this year. Rowdy has a ton of sponsors who like to associate with him, but his performance has gone downhill. Hamlin, on the other hand, had an iffy situation with sponsors but was doing a lot better on track. So, the fans are glad to see the veteran driver receive the support he deserves to stay competitive for at least a couple of years.