Denny Hamlin Silences Retirement Rumors, Comments on Change in NASCAR Format

Denny Hamlin’s 2025 campaign was a gut punch with six wins, unmatched consistency, and yet no championship to show for it. Phoenix was the breaking point where an overtime restart stripped him of the title that seemed within arm’s reach, and the heartbreak ran deep enough that Hamlin openly admitted he had no desire to climb back into the car.

At that moment, even the thought of racing again felt unbearable. But since time and introspection have a way of mending even the hardest blows, when Hamlin recently shared an Instagram post revisiting Amelia Motor Raceway, the humble Virginia track where his journey began as an eight-year-old, fans sensed a spark.

Among them was Kenny Wallace, who suggested that Hamlin’s trip into the past may have been encouraged by sports therapists as an effort to remind him of why he fell in love with racing in the first place. The therapy might just have worked.

On the latest episode of Actions Detrimental, Hamlin confirmed he would return for the 2026 season. “Yeah,” he said simply when asked about coming back.

“I mean, I would have begged Joe to let me quit had I won that race. I would have because it would have just been the perfect way for me to go out. But they’re not ready for that yet,” the Joe Gibbs Racing driver added.

Hamlin clarified that the team is still ironing out his eventual succession plan, working to set a realistic timeline for his retirement. Until then, he’s staying the course. But his frustration with NASCAR’s playoff format remains as evident as ever.

Hamlin admitted, “It doesn’t make me want to race right now in this moment anymore. They could say 36 races, which they’re not… You’re going to get playoffs. But it’s still the offseason is still so fresh. I want nothing to do with racing, still right now. I’ve got to get some more time.”

Hamlin also aimed for the format that, in his eyes, robs dominant seasons of their true worth. He pointed out that while drivers like himself, William Byron, Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Tyler Reddick, and Chase Elliott perform well across the year, among others, only a few might have experienced what it feels like to have a title ripped away in the final laps.

The ones he didn’t list might have taken wins out of others’ hands, but they’ve never had it pulled out of theirs. He left no ambiguity in his stance, stating mediocre people want as small a sample size as possible. The greats want to give a bigger one. For him, true champions are defined by the long haul, not by a single chaotic restart.