Denny Hamlin reacts to breaking Kyle Busch JGR Cup Series record with 57th win

Several of NASCAR‘s best drivers have been a part of Joe Gibbs Racing over the years. Bobby Labonte, Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch all won Cup Series Championships driving for JGR. But one driver — Denny Hamlin — stands tall above the crop when it comes to one important statistic.

With his victory in Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, Hamlin passed Busch on the all-time wins list at JGR. Hamlin has 57 career victories — all driving the No. 11 car for JGR. The 44-year-old talked about what it meant to surpass Busch on Monday’s “Actions Detrimental” podcast.

“It was great to break that tie with Kyle. Obviously, he had been the most successful JGR driver for quite some time. Feels great,” Hamlin said. “This is just one of the top organizations in NASCAR. You’ve got the big three of Hendrick, Penske and Gibbs. To be the winningest at one of those is very meaningful. They gave me my opportunity when I was just a Late Model driver.

“They’re the ones who took a risk and a chance on me. I didn’t bring anything to the table other than my talents and it paid off for both of us. Really just makes you feel good, especially with a team that gave me my start.”

Denny Hamlin breaks out iconic catchphrase after Michigan win

This one was special for Hamlin in many ways. Beyond breaking the JGR wins record, Hamlin became just the 10th driver to go to Victory Lane past his 700th career Cup start. He’s now three wins away from 60, a milestone only 10 drivers have reached.

After outlasting the field at Michigan, Hamlin decided to un-retire his famous catchphrase. Speaking with Prime Video on the frontstretch, Hamlin talked briefly about the win before directing his attention the crowd: “Daddy, I’m sorry, but I beat your favorite driver, folks… all of them.”

Hamlin has “beat your favorite driver” now three times through 15 races this season. He’s in good shape to compete for the Cup Championship, the one thing that’s eluded him throughout his Hall of Fame career.