Denny Hamlin explains how 'ego' will determine his NASCAR retirement

Denny Hamlin had already said that his current contract with Joe Gibbs Racing could be the final one of his NASCAR Cup Series career. However, the 45-year-old driver has admitted that his decision to retire could depend heavily on how competitive he remains. Ad Hamlin signed a two-year contract extension with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2025, keeping him in the No. 11 Toyota through the 2027 season. At the time, he said the deal would most likely be the final contract of his full-time Cup Series career. The veteran does not want to continue racing simply because he can. He wants to leave while he is still capable of competing for wins and championships. Submit Thanks for the submission! At Chase Media Day, Hamlin was asked if he would consider racing for several more years so that his one-year-old son would be old enough to remember watching his father compete. Hamlin said: Ad Trending 'Yeah, but do I want him to see the race car driver that's on the way down? That would hurt me. My ego is just so out of control that I want to be known as the best guy, the dominant guy, the one that every single week is the one that is winning. And it's happening right now. It might happen next year. It might still be possible the year after, but I got to set a date now and then see how things are going.' Ad Denny Hamlin's comments show why his retirement timeline is not completely fixed in his mind. He has a target in 2027, when his current contract ends, but his performance could influence whether he wants to walk away or reconsider. 'If this is like this at the point next year, we can have a real conversation, but I'm going to find it hard to be on the down. Like even right now, my motivation to race is very high because every seven days I have a chance to win a race (and) that feels really good. It kills me to go to road courses knowing I don't have a shot to win. I know that in my heart that it's just not going to happen. I can go run good... and so could I really do that for 36 races of the year knowing that I can't win? I just would have a really tough emotional time with that,' Denny Hamlin added. Ad Expand Tweet Ad Denny Hamlin won six races in 2025, the third most victories he has recorded in a single calendar year in his 20-year Cup career. The 10 wins in the last couple of years also matches the number of victories he had accumulated across the previous four seasons combined from 2021 through 2024. Hamlin has also remained remarkably consistent throughout his career. He has gone winless only once in a full-time Cup season since becoming a full-time driver in 2006, and he has spent that entire full-time career with JGR in the No. 11 Toyota. The form has continued into 2026. He has already won four races this year and remains the No. 1 seed in the Chase standings. Ad Hamlin is the winningest (64) Cup Series driver without a championship. With him still performing at a very high level, it is easy to understand why fans would want him to race beyond 2027. His own comments, however, suggest that staying competitive will be the deciding factor. If he remains a weekly contender in 2027, retirement could become a much harder decision. Denny Hamlin's Darlington night falls apart in Chase opener Denny Hamlin - NASCAR Cook Out Southern 500. Source: Getty Denny Hamlin entered the Cook Out Southern 500 knowing that Darlington would require particular attention. He had finished only seventh and 11th in his previous two starts at the track, despite being a five-time winner there. For much of the race, things looked much better for the No. 1 seed. He finished third in both stages and showed strong long-run speed in his No. 11 Toyota. Ad However, a slow pit stop during the Stage 2 caution dropped him deep into traffic. Racing in the middle of the field, Hamlin made contact with Michael McDowell. His Toyota then hit the outside wall, leaving the team with damage to the front toe link. It forced Hamlin to fall a lap down before he eventually returned to the lead lap and finished 18th. He explained why the incident was frustrating: 'It's a professional sport, so you can't have big mistakes. We just had a tough pit stop there that set us back from third to about 20th. Once we got back there, you're with guys that are a little bit more aggressive and don't really care about the points or anything like that.' Ad Expand Tweet Despite the difficult night, Denny Hamlin remains at the top of the Chase standings. He has 2,135 points, with Christopher Bell now only 12 points behind after winning at Darlington. × Feedback Why did you not like this content? Clickbait / Misleading Factually Incorrect Hateful or Abusive Baseless Opinion Too Many Ads Other Cancel Submit Was this article helpful? Thank You for feedback Get the latest NASCAR All-Star race news, Xfinity Series updates, breaking news, rumors, and today's top stories with the latest news on NASCAR.