Denny Hamlin Confirms He Will Race At least Once for 23XI Racing Before retirement

Denny Hamlin confirms his interests to race atleast once with his co-owned team with Michael Jordan, 23XI Racing in NASCAR.

Denny Hamlin Confirms He Will Race At least Once for 23XI Racing Before retirement

Denny Hamlin (via IMAGO)

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Joe Gibbs Racing recently announced Denny Hamlin‘s multi-year contract extension with the team. Despite being over 44 years of age, Hamlin is showing no signs of slowing down as he continues to extend his legacy in the sport. However, many people wonder if the No: 11 drivers would ever race for his co-owned team with Michael Jordan, 23XI Racing. Now, the JGR veteran reveals that he wishes to race at least once with 23XI’s racing suit in his career before retirement.

Denny Hamlin landed a two-year contract extension with JGR recently as he is now supposed to be racing with the same team atleast until he’s 47. While Hamlin doesn’t have a Cup Series championship yet, he has emerged as a dominant force with the passing of his age. As such, it wouldn’t be too long before the 44-year-old starts winning races as a habit and becomes a serious contender for the championship.

23XI Racing, co-owned by Denny Hamlin, currently fields three cars for Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick, and Riley Herbst, with a temporary spot for Corey Heim. However, an ongoing legal dispute with NASCAR over the team’s charter status may delay any chance of the 44-year-old joining 23XI as a driver. Regardless, after his current deal with JGR runs out, Hamlin wouldn’t mind racing for his own team in the sport, much like Jimmie Johnson with the Legacy Motor Club team in NASCAR.

Still, in the past, Denny Hamlin had expressed his desire to race at least once for 23XI Racing. Reflecting on his earlier comments, he reiterated that a part of him genuinely wants to drive for his own team. The 44-year-old was clear in his stance, stating that at some point in his career, even if only for a single race, he will drive for 23XI Racing.

Yes, there is a part of me that wants to drive for 23XI. Absolutely. I think without doubt, I’ll say that I’ll certainly be racing at 23XI, in at least a race, at some point in my career.

Denny Hamlin said on the Actions Detrimental podcast.

Denny Hamlin wishes to ‘stay loyal’ to Joe Gibbs Racing in NASCAR

Denny Hamlin has raced for Joe Gibbs Racing ever since the 2005 season, meaning that his entire career has been spent with the same team. The team did not lose faith in him from the beginning, even though he failed to achieve notable results on a lot of occasions. Despite Hamlin not having any Cup Series championships in his career of over two decades, JGR gave him yet another contract extension.

Denny Hamlin
Denny Hamlin (Via @JoeGibbsRacing/X)

As such, Denny Hamlin declared that his full-time career would definitely end at Joe Gibbs Racing. The 44-year-old raised unsurety over his retirement plans as he doesn’t want to end it all in his racing career. The JGR veteran is likely to appear for one-off performances here and there even after his retirement. Regardless, Hamlin confidently claimed that he would always be loyal to the team that gave him everything in the sport.

I see my full-time career ending at Joe Gibbs Racing, I don’t know whether I’ll just shut the switch off, or I’ll just do some one-offs here and there. I want to be loyal to the person that gave me my start.

Denny Hamlin noted

The 2025 season has been great for Denny Hamlin as he has amassed over four race wins and ten top-five finishes this year alone. JGR will not need to find a replacement for the #11 Toyota anytime soon, as Hamlin is in it for the long run, despite nearing 45 years of age. Now, time will tell what Hamlin does in his motorsport career after retiring from his current team.

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