While Denny Hamlin seemed poised to paint the town red at Darlington Motor Speedway, leading a staggering 177 laps on the trot and clinching the first two stages, fate threw a spanner in the works. A couple of pit road missteps and a wreck saw him tumble to a P25 finish. The 1.366-mile oval was practically Hamlin’s kingdom until he found himself ensnared in a pileup, not of his own making.

Amidst all this chaos, it appears one of the storm clouds has now passed, as the burning question on everyone’s lips—will Denny Hamlin stay with JGR?—was put to rest with Joe Gibbs‘s grand announcement of a multi-year contract extension. Recently, a twist in the tale emerged when one of the reasons behind Gibbs’s decision to ink a deal with the titleless, 42-year-old Hamlin was brought to light by the JGR owner himself.

Joe Gibbs lifts the veil on the crux of Denny Hamlin’s contract renewal

While there might be a laundry list of reasons to give Denny Hamlin the cold shoulder—from his trophy case lacking a championship title to his run-ins with fellow racers to whispers about intentional mishaps on the track—the scales tip decidedly in favor of retaining him. In fact, many racing stables would give an arm and a leg to secure Hamlin, drawn to his prowess on the track, his silver-tongued charm, the buzz he stirs (which, in turn, bolsters the team’s prominence), and the heavy-hitting sponsors in his wake.

But for Gibbs, the compass points in a rather distinct direction when it comes to renewing the charter with the man behind the No. 11 Toyota Camry’s wheel. For Gibbs, it was Hamlin’s unyielding spirit to polish his rough edges, notably on the road courses, that clinched the deal. As Gibbs eloquently remarked, “To have a guy 42 driving a race car that struggles somewhat in road racing, and then to turn around and go to work in road racing last year and it qualified three times on the pole for road races, I think it says a lot about Denny’s talent. We are excited about going forward.”

Gibbs also shed light on the effect of Hamlin’s presence, casting a positive spell on the morale of the racers, the strategists, and the crew. He candidly shared that while the mantle of guiding JGR’s ship falls squarely on his shoulders, Hamlin’s presence acts as an anchor, forecasting a stable and promising trajectory for the team. Not to mention, Gibbs finds it remarkable to still have Hamlin in the fold, a loyalist from two decades past.

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Joe Gibbs tips his hat to a loyalist like Denny Hamlin in his lineup

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Hamlin’s trophy cabinet boasts 50 Cup Series wins, including three Daytona 500s, a trio of Southern 500s at Darlington Raceway, and a Coca-Cola 600 win at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Hamlin’s accolades are not just for show. They’ve likely been instrumental in inking the new terms of his contract.

Yet, as per forbes.com, for Joe Gibbs, it’s not just the glint of Hamlin’s accolades but the weight of history between them. Gibbs mused, “It is amazing to think it has been almost 20 years since J.D.  first saw him race and we signed him to that first contract. He has been a big part of Joe Gibbs Racing ever since then, and we look forward to that continuing for years to come.”

With the dust settled on the contract front, all eyes will be on Hamlin as he guns for glory in the imminent playoff races, which will be the litmus test for advancing to the subsequent playoff stages.

“We Poo-Pooed the End”- Left Out To Dry by JGR, Heartbroken Denny Hamlin Reflects on His “Best Week” Disaster