Looks like Denny Hamlin was not joking around back in 2025. He hinted that his contract extension with Joe Gibbs through the end of 2027 was probably his last. And now, that statement seems even more concrete, as Hamlin’s words suggest that Joe Gibbs Racing is already trying to find his successor. 

It might be surprising to his fans, but Hamlin does not seem interested in racing beyond 2027. “I’m not really sure. I think that I’ve given Gibbs enough of a heads-up that they’re working on the plans for beyond. So, as long as those all go as planned, I would still assume that the end of 27 is it.”

Back in 2025, Hamlin was of the opinion that he did not want an abrupt end to his career, with his performance tailing off to a mere shadow of its former glory. His latest interview echoes the same emotions. Hamlin is more about going out with a bang instead of slowly fading away.

“And to me, I want to be able to—I just don’t want to go my last half of the year or last year just like, ‘Can’t wait to get out,’ you know? So, if I could end on notes like we have—seasons like this one is starting—then that would be a successful last year for me.”

By admitting about his heads-up to the team, he has effectively put the team on notice. It’s enough to make them plan their life after the veteran driver. But the Joe Gibbs star is also rather humble about his retirement. He does not want a pompous farewell tour for his retirement. If he is able to achieve the championship he covets so badly, he will be happy with that trophy in his hand while leaving.

Once again, when the media asked him, Hamlin reiterated that his current contract is likely to end his NASCAR career. And he might not want to race beyond 2027 for all that it takes.

“It is definitely. Well, I mean, things always change. You just never know. But it’s what I would like, but again, I don’t know all the moving parts and pieces beyond what happens between now and about 20 months from now. So you just don’t know. But I thought that was a good enough timeline and enough heads-up that they could make plans.”

But that makes us wonder…

Why is Hamlin not interested in chasing wins?

Hamlin’s latest interview shows that both he and Joe Gibbs know that he won’t be staying in the Cup Series for long. No wonder Hamlin was not interested in overtaking Kyle Busch or Dale Earnhardt when it comes to race wins. 

He knows that he won’t be staying in NASCAR for long. As such, he does not want to disappoint the public with false claims. While Hamlin stays stuck in reality, he is trying his best to win the championship. That is his only motto as something he did not achieve. His goal was to reach 50 victories, and he is happy with that.

His victory at Las Vegas is perfect proof of his tenacity. Even Joe Gibbs knows that his driver won’t give up until his last day in the JGR camp. Once again, the way he puts it, Hamlin’s future looks starkly different from his former teammate. Denny Hamlin makes it clear that he doesn’t want a slow degradation of his racecraft.

If he won’t be able to replicate his past success, he won’t race in the Cup Series. “I think about, on a weekly basis, would I want to do this if I didn’t have the ability or couldn’t win as much? It probably would not. The motivation wouldn’t be there. But certainly, as competitive as I am, I’m motivated by being able to win.”

The situation he is afraid of is the very situation that plagues Kyle Busch’s career currently. With two Cup Series titles in over two decades of Cup career, there’s hardly anything left for Kyle Busch to achieve in NASCAR. He holds the record for most cumulative victories in the three NASCAR national series.

Even his fans think that maybe he should retire instead of tarnishing his legacy with P30 or lower finishes. If Kyle Busch decides to do that, that is another decision that solely depends on him. But for now, the statistics are definitely not pointing towards his success.