In what may be the most obvious move since peanut butter met jelly, Denny Hamlin has officially signed a multi-year contract extension to remain behind the wheel of the No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing. That sound you just heard? It wasn’t the roar of approval—it was the complete lack of surprise from anyone who’s been paying even a modicum of attention.
Because let’s be honest: if Denny Hamlin had signed with another team, the ripple effects would’ve made the Return of the Jedi look like an indie film. The man has spent his entire Cup Series career—706 races, 58 wins, three Daytona 500 trophies, and enough top-fives to make most drivers weep—in that No. 11 for JGR. And now, he’ll keep doing exactly that.
“Joe and everyone at JGR are family to me,” Hamlin said, stating the obvious with the ease of a man who’s been part of the furniture since George W. Bush was still in office. “There are a lot of exciting things happening with our team,” he added, which is true, especially when one of those things is not leaving.
At 43 years old, Hamlin is currently fourth in the standings and already has four wins this season. He’s not slowing down. If anything, he’s aging like a fine bourbon with a grudge.
Team owner Joe Gibbs, who now has two constants in his life—faith and Denny Hamlin—called the extension “special,” noting that J.D. Gibbs was the first to spot Denny’s talent at a test session two decades ago. Since then, Hamlin has led nearly 16,000 laps and somehow still hasn’t won a Cup title, proving that the universe does indeed have a sense of humor.
But don’t let that stat fool you. Hamlin is a championship contender every year, even if the big trophy keeps ghosting him like a bad Tinder date. He’s made the Playoffs 18 times, been to the Championship 4 four times, and is the NASCAR equivalent of a Swiss Army knife—versatile, sharp, and always dangerous.
The real takeaway here? Denny staying at JGR is more than a no-brainer. It’s the sort of move you lock in with permanent ink. And while the announcement didn’t come with fireworks or a gospel choir, it didn’t need to. This is legacy stuff.
So Hamlin stays in the No. 11. Balance is restored. Planets stay in orbit. And somewhere, a NASCAR fan exhales, “Well yeah, obviously.”
Greg was a writer for DriveTribe supporting Amazon's The Grand Tour and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, and a Masters degree in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek and a regular contributor to Forbes.
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