The NASCAR Cup Series finale at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday is perhaps the most important race of Denny Hamlin’s long career. The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran has a golden opportunity to win the title and end a curse he has been enduring since the beginning of his career. After all that he has been through, could he call it a day if he manages to become a champion?
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He sure would like to. But there’s just one soft corner that is preventing him from doing so. In a candid conversation on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Hamlin was asked if he would retire immediately if he wins the title. He replied, “It would be the perfect scenario for me personally. But I have to keep in account that I don’t know that JGR has an alternative plan right now.”
“They’re working on a plan for when I am not here. Right now, it’s been a couple of years. I am too loyal to JGR to put them in a bad spot. But certainly for me, I would be content with that.” Hamlin has been with Joe Gibbs Racing for two decades now. His loyalty to Coach Gibbs is what makes him remain with the team despite being the co-owner of 23XI Racing, and in the twilight years of his career.
Could @dennyhamlin win the title, do a mic drop and retire from full-time racing with JGR?
🤷🏼 "It would be the perfect scenario for me […] I'm too loyal to JGR to put them in a bad spot. But certainly for me, I would be content with that."
More → https://t.co/ED6AWYsft9 pic.twitter.com/lEti6dlyKG
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) November 1, 2025
So, rest assured, he won’t be handing over his resignation papers even if he ends up becoming a champion this Sunday. So, what are his retirement plans?
When does Denny Hamlin plan to retire?
This is a question that pops up every often once a driver crosses the 40-year-old mark. Hamlin, now 44, has been battling it for a while now. The answer can always be found in his results on the race track.
Despite his age, Hamlin is still posing a tough threat to every youngster on the track. He has been one of the most dominant drivers of the 2025 season, and his spot in the Championship 4 is a testament to the same.
Asked about his retirement earlier this year, he said, “You just never know. My drive is still there, and obviously, the performance is still there. I’m gonna try to just win all I can this window while it is still there.” While he is willing to stay on the track for as long as his performance is up, he is also self-aware that he cannot race for as long as Mark Martin did.
He added, “Mark Martin did it when he was 50 and was fantastic. There’s no way I’ll ever make it that far, but again, everyone’s body, mind, and eyesight are all different, and it goes away at different times.”
For now, the veteran has a job at hand. He needs to win the golden prize on Sunday. Regardless of whether he leaves JGR or not, the coming race will serve as a pivotal point in his career.
