Denny Hamlin Declares Carl Edwards Is Having “Second Thoughts” About Retirement

Joe Gibbs Racing veteran Denny Hamlin has given his verdict on Carl Edwards feelings seeing his old team thrive after his retirement.

Denny Hamlin Declares Carl Edwards Is Having “Second Thoughts” About Retirement

Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards (Via IMAGO and @ricky_stenhouse/X)

In 2017, NASCAR Hall of Famer Carl Edwards stunned the whole NASCAR community after he announced retirement from the sport, after a heartbreaking championship loss. He quit the sport at the age 37, despite having at least five more years left in him to win a title. Now his ex-teammate Denny Hamlin has asserted the veteran now feel like he ended his journey too soon.

The No:11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver is the same age as the Carl Edwards and has had a career with similar accomplishment till the latter’s retirement. Since then, Denny Hamlin has gone on win multiple races a year, and is now the wingiest racer in the team history closing on 60 Cup race wins. Edwards could have had similar success if he had stayed.

During the Pocono Race weekend, Edwards who is now back in the sport as a broadcaster for Amazon Prime had an interview with his ex-teammate. After the filming of the interview, Hamlin told another reporter that he feels Edwards is having second thoughts about retirement seeing JGR’s dominant runs over the last 8 years.

I think Carl maybe misses not keep going. I think he is having second thoughts of seeing the success we have had over the long-sustained period of time, not being able to keep that thing going. I’ve no doubts he would have been as successful, if not way more successful than I was.

Denny Hamlin told Amazon Prime.

The veteran seems to rate Edwards on a higher level than him and pretty confident that if he had stayed, the team would have been more successful. It’s a surprising admission and compliment coming from one of the all-time grates of the sport. This feeling made him enjoy the interaction with the ex-racer more than anything.

I believe he was way more talented naturally behind the wheel than I was. I know that because I got to be teammates with him, I got to see his talent in the same race car that I had. He was by far the hardest driver for me to match. So, it was great to spend time with him and kind of open up to people about what our thought process was.

Denny Hamlin added.

Denny Hamlin gives his verdict on potential San Diego NASCAR race

In 2023 NASCAR hosted its maiden street race at Chicago and it was a major success with the Next-Gen car and a new fan favorite racer being born in race winner Shane van Gisbergen. Since then, the sport has been looking for other cities to host the similar events.

Denny Hamlin wins at Michigan
Denny Hamlin wins at Michigan (Via @JoeGibbsRacing/X)

Now latest reports suggest that Southern California coastal city of San Diego can host a race in the near future. Talking about these reports, Hamlin pointed out that if NASCAR really wants to host a race in the street courses, the city is a best destination.

I don’t hate it. I certainly think that San Diego sounds like a place I’d like to go. I mean, sure, I guess. It seems like they’re really in favor of street races out. So, if they’re hellbent on it, then San Diego seems like a destination to do that.

Denny Hamlin said.

The comments from the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran seems pretty rational and if NASCAR planning to move Chicago to a new venue, San Diego is a great choice. But at the same time, the race shouldn’t be hosted at the cost of an oval track or an existing road course as more than one street race doesn’t belong in stock car racing.

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