NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin has stated repeatedly that he intends to retire from full-time Cup Series racing at the end of the 2027 season. While there’s still some doubt about him following through on that, it does appear that Joe Gibbs Racing has a succession plan in place.
Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports wrote that O’Reilly Series driver Brent Crews is the “focus on he development driver side” to eventually replace Hamlin in the No. 11 car whenever it happens.
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Hamlin, who is coming off a million-dollar win at the NASCAR All-Star Race, easily remains one of the best drivers in the sport. In 2026, he sits atop the Cup Series in laps led (624), and his average finishing position (9.92) is even better than last season, when he won six races.
It’s not as if this is a situation like Michael McDowell or Kyle Busch, where wins have become few and far between. Hamlin is a championship contender who has a legitimate shot at winning at every oval track on the Cup Series circuit each week.
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That’s why there’s been plenty of skepticism about whether Hamlin will truly walk away when his contract expires. Whether it happens in 2027 or any subsequent year, JGR seems to have a tentative plan in place.
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Crews, who just turned 18 years old in March, has been one of the best drivers in the O’Reilly Series this season. He’s finished inside the top 10 in seven of the 10 races he’s run and placed inside the top five in four races.
Widely regarded as one of the top prospects in NASCAR, with some even viewing him as a better talent than Connor Zilisch, a Cup Series ride is inevitable. Whenever Hamlin decides to walk away, Crews seems ready to step in behind the wheel of the No. 11.
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