Denny Hamlin’s not going anywhere. Joe Gibbs Racing dropped big news today, announcing that the NASCAR veteran has signed a multi-year contract extension to keep piloting the No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE in the Cup Series. At 44, Hamlin’s still a force, sitting fourth in the 2025 points standings with four wins this season alone.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
With 58 career victories, ranking him 11th all-time, he’s the heart and soul of JGR, having made every single one of his 706 Cup starts with the team. That’s loyalty that’s hard to beat in any sport. Hamlin’s resume is stacked—three Daytona 500 wins (2016, 2019, 2020), three Southern 500s (2010, 2017, 2021), and a Coca-Cola 600 trophy (2022). While the #11 underwent a major overhaul with Chris Gabehart being promoted to competition direction, Chris Gayle and Hamlin have formed good synergy. Perhaps a two-year runway is what the #11 team is looking at that will allow the driver to complete his NASCAR story with a championship triumph.
View this post on Instagram
“Joe and everyone at JGR are family to me and have done so much for me over the last 20 years,” Hamlin said, hyped about the team’s new partners and strong 2025 start. Joe Gibbs himself got sentimental, saying, “It is just really special when you think about everything we’ve experienced over the past 20 years, from that first moment when J.D. recognized his talent at a test session, until now.” Hamlin’s locked in, and JGR’s betting on him to keep chasing that elusive championship.
There was a lot of noise surrounding Hamlin’s future at the start of the 2025 season. Without the anchor sponsorship of FedEx, his trusted crew chief parting ways, and the age factor, all contributed to it. Well, fast-forward to the Brickyard race weekend, the 44-year-old is still at the top of his game, and Coach Gibbs rightly has put his trust into him with this multi-year extension.
For context, Kyle Busch, who is younger than Hamlin and has numerous sponsorships with him at RCR, was handed a one-year contract by his team. Clearly, the veteran JGR driver has more fuel left in his tank, and perhaps he might recreate the days just like Mark Martin, who was successful in his late 40s.
JGR’s Brickyard 400 battle plan
Joe Gibbs Racing rolls into Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend for the Indy 500, a race dripping with history and playoff stakes. Back on the oval after a few years on Indy’s road course, JGR’s got a score to settle at this iconic track. Denny Hamlin has the Daytona 500, the Southern 500 crown and the Coca-Cola 600 as well. But he’s yet to emerge victorious at the Brickyard. Now third in points with three wins in 2025, Hamlin’s hungry for his first Brickyard crown, a jewel that could turbocharge his title chase. If he wins this Sunday, he could become just the fifth driver in NASCAR history to have a Grand Slam of crown jewel wins. Chase Briscoe, in the No. 19 after Martin Truex Jr.’s retirement, brings hometown pride to Indy, adapting fast to JGR’s cars and eyeing a breakout. Christopher Bell, in the No. 20, is steady with top-10s but itching to make amends for his lost opportunity at Dover. Ty Gibbs, in the No. 54, is chasing his first Cup win, with strong runs at Pocono and Michigan hinting he’s close. Joe Gibbs Racing have been running up front for consecutive weeks, and it won’t be a surprise if one of the JGR cars find it’s way in the victory lane at IMS.Related Newsletters
