“How Many More Opportunities Do I Have?”: Denny Hamlin’s New Contract Came With a New Motivation

After a long period of speculation, Denny Hamlin and Joe Gibbs Racing finally announced a multiyear deal that extends one of NASCAR’s long-standing partnerships beyond 2023. While the delay in the signing led many to believe a Kyle Busch-like situation could occur, Hamlin and Joe Gibbs insisted that it was always an inevitability that the deal would be signed.

The three-time Daytona 500 winner looked solid last week at the first playoff race at Darlington, with bad luck preventing a sure victory for the #11 driver.  Ahead of the second playoff race at Kansas, the 23XI Racing owner opened up on how signing this particular deal was different than any of the previous contracts he has signed.

Denny Hamlin on how contract priorities change when age becomes a factor

During the media session ahead of Kansas, the JGR driver was asked about the emotions he felt while signing a contract that could potentially be his last in the Cup Series. Hamlin gave a layered answer, differentiating how priorities change when you are a young driver versus when you are reaching the end of your career.

“When you are younger, you see it as a financial stabilizer. For me, it’s how many more Daytona 500s do I have left? How many more opportunities do I have to win certain events that are special to me personally or help me accomplish a goal that I’m trying to accomplish? It really puts in perspective the urgency of accomplishing as much as you can here in the short term.”

“When you are younger in your 20’s or low 30s, you have so much runway, where if you don’t get it this time, I’ll get it the next. I’ve been very, very fortunate in the financial planning that my team has put together – we never planned past 40 as far as income was concern, so this is all me telling myself, how many more opportunities will I have?”

This year, Hamlin has been one of the most consistent drivers on the track, with many considering him a favorite to win the whole thing.

Hamlin wants to race only if he is competitive on the race track

Speaking further in the session, Hamlin did put across that he wants to race at this level only when he can compete for victories and not be a mere passenger on the track, echoing his sentiments after Watkins Glen.

“I don’t want to kind of trickle off. I’m way too competitive to do it. There is no way I could go to the race track not knowing that I could win.”

The driver-owner does recognize the fact that there comes a time when “things get slower” for every NASCAR driver in their career. So the only way to capitalize in a season where he has one of his best shots to win his first championship – capitalize on each and every weekend, something Hamlin has done for most of 2023.