Denny Hamlin: 2025 NASCAR Driver Profile

But 2025 finds him part of a rapidly changing landscape at Joe Gibbs Racing after a half-decade of stability. With Chase Briscoe replacing Martin Truex Jr., Hamlin finds himself the grizzled veteran at Toyota, all while grappling with the loss of his longtime sponsor (FedEx), the loss of his longtime crew chief (Chris Gabehart), and the fallout of the 23XI lawsuit.

While the FedEx move was expected – it had been quietly reducing inventory for years – it ends a fruitful 19-year relationship with Hamlin and JGR. The Gabehart move, being promoted to competition director within the company, was a decision that caught the driver completely off guard.

“I certainly was shocked,” Hamlin said in a curt media availability last November. “That’s all I’ll say.”

He now has Ty Gibbs’ former crew chief Chris Gayle on the pit box, requiring some relationship-building with a head wrench he has little experience with. The changes also have some speculating that Hamlin, whose JGR contract runs out after 2025, may be the next Kyle Busch-style veteran getting shown the door.

Denny Hamlin career stats

It all adds up to a challenging transition year, but it’s one that Hamlin is more than capable of handling. He’s won races with five different crew chiefs at the Cup level, and is a former winner at eight of the 10 tracks on the playoff schedule.

The question is how long that speed and performance will last. Hamlin turned 44 in November, now the oldest full-time driver in the series with Truex’s retirement. While his yearly performance with the Next Gen car has held steady the last three seasons, he isn’t getting any younger. This year marks his 20th full-time season at the Cup level, and if he were indeed to finally win it all, he will be the second-oldest driver behind Bobby Allison (45) to win a Cup championship.

With all the uncertainties heading into 2025, a laser focus is needed with all the hoops Hamlin must jump through. He can still get the job done, and while this year may not be his absolute last chance at a title, he won’t have many more before Father Time starts knocking.

The Denny Hamlin file

Car: No. 11 Toyota

Team: Joe Gibbs Racing

Crew chief: Chris Gayle

Years with current team: 21

Best points finish: 2 (2010)

Hometown: Chesterfield, Virginia

Born: Nov. 18, 1980

Scouting report

Anonymous takes from drivers, crew chiefs, and assorted industry insiders:

Much was made about Denny Hamlin failing to advance to the Championship 4 but his peers in the garage say not enough was made about the engine-seal penalty over the summer that ultimately cost him the points that would have seen him through.

“He handled that with so much grace,” said a rival team owner. “It was actually inspiring because he could have blamed Toyota or the team and he took a ‘win as a team, lose as a team’ mindset.”

To wit, that same team owner says Hamlin doesn’t get enough credit for his maturity over the last decade or his standing as a driving talent: “He’s a phenomenal driver, the whole package.”

“It’s crazy to me that we talk about how great Larson is – and he is – but we don’t acknowledge that there is always one guy in that same conversation, at every track, every week – and it’s Denny,” says a competitor. “He’s super-calculating and tough. Greatest driver to have yet to win a championship.”

So why hasn’t he?

“When winning or losing a championship is a matter of margins, you can’t help but wonder if the podcast or maybe the lawsuit is the difference,” wonders one media member.

The same team owner agrees with that sentiment, but also states that, “Denny studies and works as hard as anyone at the top. He was ahead of the game on exercise and fitness. Sometimes, things just don’t happen and it’s not a matter of how hard you worked. It’s timing and luck and that’s probably Denny.”