Why 2025 is a do-or-die season for Denny Hamlin in his championship pursuit

In sports, it's not uncommon to see some of the greatest go without a coveted championship ring. 

Dan Marino is considered by many to be the greatest quarterback in NFL history to never win a Super Bowl. For all the baseballs he sent into orbit, Barry Bonds was never able to capture a victory in the World Series. Despite three appearances in the NBA Finals, Karl Malone never won a ring. 

In NASCAR, plenty of legendary drivers have never been able to capture a Cup Series championship. Mark Martin, Junior Johnson and Carl Edwards are just a few of stock car racing's greats who never captured the title. 

However, one driver still chasing a championship might just be the greatest NASCAR driver to never win a title, and the 2025 season may be his final chance. 

Denny Hamlin will enter his 20th full-time season season of NASCAR Cup Series competition in 2025 in search of his first championship. In 19 years, Hamlin has won 54 races — including three Daytona 500s — and has made the Championship 4 four times since the elimination-style postseason format was introduced in 2014. 

Despite an extensive trophy case and a long list of accolades, Hamlin has fallen on relatively hard times in recent years. Since the advent of the Next-Gen car in 2022, Hamlin has failed to make the Championship 4 in three consecutive seasons, and at 44 years old, he's no spring chicken. 

All of these factors contribute to 2025 possibly being the final season in which Hamlin has a chance to capture an elusive championship. 

The task won't be easy. Gone is crew chief Chris Gabehart, who won 23 races and two Daytona 500s with Hamlin from 2019 to 2024. As Gabehart moves into the role of competition director at Joe Gibbs Racing, Chris Gayle will be atop the it box for Hamlin in 2025. 

Gayle, a native of Little Rock, Arkansas, has two Cup Series wins under his belt with Erik Jones, and guided Ty Gibbs through his first two Cup Series seasons. 

A new driver-crew chief combination could lead to a lack of chemistry, or it could be the catalyst Hamlin needs to get back over the hump. 

Regardless of the circumstances going into the 2025 season, one thing is clear: 2025 might be Hamlin's final chance at a championship, and it's not an opportunity he can afford to waste.