Denny Hamlin’s NASCAR Future With Joe Gibbs Racing Can Get Complicated Due to This Reason

With Kurt Busch’s retirement last year and Kevin Harvick set to hang up his helmet at the end of this season, NASCAR can truly be said to enter a new era. Not many will remember though, that around this time last year, there were talks of another driver retiring, someone who just won the race at Sonoma last weekend. Martin Truex Jr. was unsure of his NASCAR future at this time last year, ultimately only signing a one-year contract with Joe Gibbs Racing for 2023.

Another driver who is still in doubt is Denny Hamlin, whose contract is also up for renewal at the end of the year. After letting go of Kyle Busch last season, Joe Gibbs Racing would certainly look to not lose two of the most experienced drivers in NASCAR.

Why Denny Hamlin’s renewal with Joe Gibbs Racing is “complicated”

Even though Denny Hamlin’s extension with FedEx is more or less expected, there might be certain other factors that could have a say in how the discussion with Joe Gibbs Racing goes. As per The Athletic, “The main holdup with his contract extension is that the team he co-owns, 23XI Racing, is also negotiating an extension with Toyota. And as these things go when multiple parties are involved, it can get complicated, making it hard to find a deal that suits everyone’s needs.” 

All said and done, it is expected that Denny Hamlin will indeed stay at JGR in a partnership that has run for 18 years (full-time) and has given the two everything, everything except a championship.

Martin Truex Jr continues on his own NASCAR path

Hamlin’s teammate and 2017 Cupe Series champion Martin Truex Jr. is in somewhat of a similar situation as last year, the only difference being this year he looks like a contender to win it all. Truex’s contract expires at the end of the season but the way the season is going so far, an extension for atleast the 2024 season seems highly probable. As per The Athletic, “Expect him to return to JGR. The veteran is competitive, having fun and loves his team, all of which check three important boxes that entice him to come back.”

Truex Jr. is taking it all one season at a time, a fact he clarified last year as well. Nothing would delight the veteran more than winning his second championship and tying long-time contemporaries Kyle Busch and Joey Logano as the only active drivers with two titles each.