Denny Hamlin will add another milestone to an already decorated NASCAR Cup Series career Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway, where the green flag for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race will mark his 750th start at NASCAR’s highest level.
Hamlin will become the 15th driver in Cup Series history to reach 750 starts. Former Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch became the 14th driver to reach the milestone last November at Phoenix Raceway.
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The milestone comes nearly 21 years after Hamlin made his Cup debut with JGR in October 2005 at Kansas Speedway. He has driven full time for JGR since 2006, spending his entire Cup career behind the wheel of the No. 11 entry.
Along the way, Hamlin has amassed 64 victories, ninth-most in Cup Series history. His resume includes three Daytona 500 victories, three Southern 500 wins and a Coca-Cola 600 triumph, along with four career wins at Bristol, where he’ll compete Saturday in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race (7:30 ET, USA Network, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
But unlike many career milestones that arrive with a focus on what has already been accomplished, Hamlin’s 750th start comes with plenty still at stake.
The 45-year-old enters Thunder Valley atop The Chase presented by Mobil 1 standings, nine points ahead of Kyle Larson after two races. Hamlin has four wins, 14 top-five finishes and 18 top 10s this season, with an 8.6 average finish through 28 races.
Hamlin is also riding a streak of 27 consecutive lead-lap finishes entering Bristol, one shy of Carl Edwards’ Cup Series record of 28.
That consistency has helped keep Hamlin at the front of the championship picture as he continues his pursuit of a first Cup title. He finished second in the standings last season after leading late in the championship finale at Phoenix Raceway and has returned in 2026 as one of the series’ strongest drivers.
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Bristol offers a fitting setting for the milestone. Hamlin has four career victories at the 0.533-mile concrete short track, including Night Race wins in 2012, 2019 and 2023. He also enters the weekend with one of the best recent records at the track among active drivers.
Hamlin made his 700th career Cup start at Nashville Superspeedway in June 2025, finishing third after leading 79 laps. At the time, he became the 22nd driver in series history to reach 700 starts.
Fifty starts later, Hamlin reaches another landmark, his focus still fixed forward.