“You Lose Your Eyesight!” Denny Hamlin is Bracing for His Eventual Downfall in NASCAR

The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season so far has been impressive for Joe Gibbs Racing veteran Denny Hamlin. He won three races and is P2 in the championship table, with three wins to his name, just 51points behind the front runner Tyler Reddick. The 45-year-old is considered by many as one of the favorite to win the title.

One major challenge for the JGR driver in the chase is the fact that father time is slowly catching up with him, and he would’ve to retire within the next two years. Talking about this to Dale Eranhardt Jr. during the Amazon Prime, Hamlin highlighted how the body will slowly give up on him when time catches up and how is looking to retire before that happens.

I feel there’s three things that happen. You lose your eyesight. You lose your reaction (time). And your body hurts. The body hurts are there. During the week, I’m not recovering as quick. But the other two things, I still feel sharp. So, yeah, I want to go out like this. It’s a fantasy land to do it.

Denny Hamlin told after Michigan race via Amazon Prime (Via nascar.com).

Later talking about the same in a separate conversation, Denny Hamlin told that media that retirement is going to be a tough decision for him. He knows the downfall is coming and is bracing for it. But he will race in the Cup as long as he is competitive against the youngsters in the current garage.

If – and that’s a big if – I’m at this point and this fast at this point next year, it would be a tough, tough decision. Because, again, I’m planning for the downfall that I know will come.

Denny Hamlin added.

Denny Hamlin should learn from Richard Petty’s regret

Retiring two late is a mistake many NASCAR legends have done in the past, and it’s something Hamlin should learn. Recent comments from the seven times champion Richard Petty perfectly explains it, as he admitted that he should’ve stopped racing earlier that he did.

I love to drive race cars. It’s hard to get out. I should have stopped earlier.

Richard Petty said.

The love and passion he had for racing, made it really hard for him to walk away despite the fact that he was getting slower as time passed. He went eight years without a win before retiring, putting a red mark on his racing legacy.

The longer we run, the slower I got. I should have seen it coming enough to say, ‘I don’t need to be doing this.’ But again, I love to drive the race car so much that if they hadn’t made me, I’d probably still be driving.

Richard Petty added.

The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran should not make this mistake and should retire when there are signs that shows the end is near. It would be interesting to see how the final season of the three times Daytona 500 champion is going to playout.

Also Read: “Everything They Do is Right!” Kyle Petty Bets on Denny Hamlin to Win 2026 Regular Season Title Over Tyler Reddick