Denny Hamlin’s Crew Chief Addresses JGR Driver’s Claim Around Retirement

Denny Hamlin has kept the win counter ticking for more than two decades in the NASCAR Cup Series, and his latest strike at Las Vegas Motor Speedway pushed his tally to 61. The title chase still hangs over his career as an unfinished business, but cracking the list of the sport’s top winners has him knocking on a rare door.

For years, Hamlin circled 60 as the number to chase, knowing the title fight can slip through a driver’s fingers. That point hit home again at Phoenix Raceway last year, where a late caution pulled the rug out from under him. So, now, wins, in his book, are the measure that no one can take away.

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With Hamlin’s deal expected to run through next season, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver has set his sights on 67 before he hangs up the helmet. Crew chief Chris Gayle, however, is not ready to draw a line in the sand.

From his side of the pit box, the target keeps moving. “I think he said 60 before he was done, right? And so he’s hit that number and eclipsed it, and he’s still racing. So I don’t know. I don’t know what might happen, and I know he’s signed up for a couple years here.”

Hamlin has already cleared the bar he once set, and as long as the engine keeps firing, Gayle sees no reason to put a ceiling on it. Plans can change, and as long as the pace holds, the wins can keep coming.

“So, man, I hope he hits that number and beyond specifically because I want to be involved with that and win that many races coming up here. So, yeah, you know, I don’t know what his plans might change. I think he definitely wants to be competitive at the end of his career, and you’re seeing that. So I think as long as he can stay competitive, we’ll see what happens,” Gayle continued.