Denny Hamlin is 45 and still winning at a high level in the NASCAR Cup Series. He drives for Joe Gibbs Racing, one of the top teams in the sport. In 2025, he delivered one of his best seasons in the Next-Gen era with six race wins and a strong championship run.
He opened the 2026 season with another victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, pushing his career total to 61 wins.
Despite this success, Hamlin is now facing a key career decision. He must decide when to retire while still performing at a high level. His current contract runs through 2027, giving him time, but also putting focus on what comes next.
Kevin Harvick Explains the Challenge of Stepping Away
During a recent Fox Sports conversation, Hamlin asked Kevin Harvick how he handled his own decision to retire.
“If you were with a top team like I am, and you were still at the skillset you thought you were in your last year, would you go one more then?” Hamlin asked.
Harvick said he likely would have continued racing in that situation.
“I probably would have. If I were driving and in your situation, I probably would have kept going. But at Stewart-Haas, it was kind of at the end, and I didn’t want to go to another team and learn another system. It also became a balance of Keelan was racing… I mean, I called a bunch of people just to say, ‘how do you know,’ because you don’t know. But it would have been way harder in your situation.”
Harvick retired after the 2023 season with Stewart-Haas Racing. His team was no longer competing at the same level, which shaped his decision.
Strong Team Performance Makes the Decision Harder
Denny Hamlin highlighted the contrast between his current situation and Harvick’s final years.
“I feel like, as a competitor, I felt like when you quit. I thought you were just as competitive as you were for the first 20 years I competed against you. But, again, the situation is different because the team was on its way out, and mine is still doing really well.”
Hamlin drives the No. 11 Toyota for a NASCAR team that continues to compete for wins and championships. That level of performance makes it harder to walk away. He is not dealing with a decline in speed or results. Instead, he remains a regular contender.
His results support that. With 61 career wins, he is close to the all-time top 10. He has also shown he can still win multiple races in a season.
Loyalty to Joe Gibbs Remains Central to His Decision
Hamlin also spoke about his long relationship with team owner Joe Gibbs.
“I just will never forget when he and my dad were out on pit road. My dad goes to him, ‘He’s all yours now.’ So that moment was just kind of like where Joe took over as my at-track dad. He really did. I just felt like the relationship with him has grown… I would do anything for him because I know he would do anything he could for me. It’s just been a really strong relationship and a loyalty that will never break.”
Hamlin has indicated that 2027 could be his final NASCAR season. His contract gives the team time to prepare for a future change. He has also set a goal of reaching around 67 career wins. At his current pace, that target remains within reach.
For now, Hamlin continues to compete at a high level. His decision will come while he is still running near the front of the field.
Kevin Harvick Breaks Down Denny Hamlin’s Retirement Crossroads at JGR Team Now