Denny Hamlin is standing firm on stepping away from NASCAR Cup Series racing at the end of the 2027 season, he said Sunday after winning at Michigan International Speedway.
But the 63-time winner also noted some of his reasoning during the post-race show on Prime Video — while signaling potential plans for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2028.
MORE: Cup standings | Michigan results
At age 45, Hamlin has won three races in 2026, including each of the last two despite going to the rear early in both events. Pressed by NASCAR Hall of Famer and Sports on Prime analyst Dale Earnhardt Jr. if Hamlin intends to step away after the 2027 season, Hamlin explained the wear and tear he battles between races.
“I don’t know. The weeks are a little tougher,” Hamlin said. “I feel as though there’s three things that happen: You lose your eyesight, you lose your reaction and your body hurts. The body hurts are there. It’s there. During the week, I’m not recovering as quick. But the other two things are sharp. I want to go out like this. It’s a fantasy land to do it, but right now …”
Hamlin has stated he is more focused on statistics and wins at this point in his career. With Sunday’s Michigan win, he tied Kyle Busch for ninth on the all-time wins list in Cup Series history. The next target in eighth is Dale Earnhardt, a seven-time champion who won 76 races.
“Think about it like this too,” Hamlin said, “If I can win one more and put myself in ninth alone, the next jump, I’m not gonna get there. So what am I doing?”
Even if Hamlin wins his first career Cup Series championship in 2026, Hamlin said he is committed through 2027 after signing a two-year contract extension with JGR last summer. What comes next may involve Brent Crews, the 18-year-old who currently competes as a rookie in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series for JGR.
“At the end of next year … I told him just check with me in six months. Check with me in six months,” Hamlin said. “I don’t want to leave them in flux. They’ve got a great driver in Brent Crews that’s gonna be ready more than likely by the end of next year. It’d be hard — if [the end of this contract] was right now, it’d be really hard. But I find it hard to believe we’re gonna be at this level at this time next year.”