NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Denny Hamlin's 2025 championship loss hurts more than any other

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Nov 4, 2025 4:48 PM ET

Sunday was not the first time Denny Hamlin came heartbreakingly close to winning a NASCAR Cup Series championship, but he says it's the first time losing a title has hurt this badly.

"Not close," Hamlin told reporters on Tuesday. "This one's deep."

In 2010, 2014, 2019, 2020 and 2021, Hamlin had a chance to win the championship in the season finale. He was three laps away from finally doing so on Sunday until a late caution re-racked the field in NASCAR overtime, brought the field down pit road and allowed Kyle Larson to take the crown instead.

In the heat of the moment on Sunday evening, Hamlin said that he couldn't imagine ever driving a race car again. He echoed that sentiment on Tuesday, but he is still expected to race in 2026 and through the end of his contract in 2027.

"In the moment, I can't imagine having to go through the process I went through to prepare for that race, doing it all over again," Hamlin said. "I plan to (race). I have a contract to. But at this point, there's absolutely no way... I don't even think about (a) race car right now. I'm going to need some time on this one.

"I'll get it over it. This one's going to take a minute."

Denny Hamlin suddenly retiring wouldn't be unprecedented

While it appears that Hamlin, who turns 45 on Nov. 18, will return for his 21st Cup Series campaign in 2026, a sudden retirement following a tough championship loss wouldn't be totally unprecedented.

In January 2017, two months after he lost the 2016 Cup Series championship in a similar fashion to Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Carl Edwards suddenly announced his retirement in a move that sent shockwaves throughout the NASCAR world. A similar announcement from Hamlin would have similar, if not larger effects.

Edwards, a 28-time Cup Series winner and NASCAR Hall of Famer, was at the top of his game when he retired. It's hard to argue that Hamlin — a 60-time winner and future Hall of Famer coming off of a six-win season in 2025 — isn't performing at a high level at the moment.

While Hamlin retiring would be incredibly shocking, it wouldn't be a completely unprecedented move for a man who has said that he wants to retire when he's still competitive.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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