Denny Hamlin is not leaving Joe Gibbs Racing or the NASCAR Cup Series anytime soon.
Hamlin signed a multi-year contract extension to stay at JGR, the team announced on July 25.
The extension will push the Hamlin-Joe Gibbs Racing relationship into an uninterrupted third decade of existence, a rarity in modern NASCAR, and will keep Hamlin at JGR through at least his age-46 season.
Hamlin, 44, is currently driving in his 20th full-time Cup Series season, all with JGR. He leads the Cup Series with four wins this season and has compiled a Hall of Fame career all with the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team.
The Virginia native has 58 career victories, third-most since 2006 and 11th-most all-time, including three Daytona 500 wins, two Southern 500 wins and a Coca-Cola 600 victory. He also co-owns 23XI Racing alongside Michael Jordan, a successful race-winning team now embroiled in a charter-related lawsuit with NASCAR.
Two achievements have yet to make it onto his career resume. One can be taken care of this weekend, as a Brickyard 400 win on Sunday would complete the crown jewel career grand slam.
The other has been a much more publicized effort: a Cup Series championship. As of now, Hamlin is known most as the best driver never to win a Cup Series title.
With this multi-year extension, he’ll have at least a few more legitimate opportunities to earn one.
- 58 wins
- 706 career starts in 21 seasons, including 20 full-time
- 9 top-5 points finishes, including four Championship 4 appearances
- 3 Daytona 500 wins (2016, 2019, 2020)
- 2 Southern 500 wins (2017, 2021)
- Coca-Cola 600 win (2022)
Read the full article here