Earlier this week, Denny Hamlin ended all speculation surrounding his future. While there were rumors and ideas floating around that he would follow in the footsteps of Kyle Busch out of Joe Gibbs Racing, Hamlin confirmed that he would stay with Coach Gibbs’ team for many years to come.
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However, this decision to stay took a long time because such things are generally dealt with earlier in the season and Hamlin’s announcement came after the regular season was over, hence the speculation. Regardless, one can imagine that he, his team, his sponsors, and everyone around him would be relieved now that his future was secure.
But how hectic was the process, after all? Was it hectic at all? This was something Hamlin recently answered.
Denny Hamlin explains why the process of renewal was a hectic one
During a recent episode of his podcast show, Hamlin was asked by his co-host Jared Allen whether having his contract renewed with JGR has taken some weight off his shoulders. Allen also asked the #11 driver how much time he had dedicated to the whole process in the past few weeks. “A lot. So much,” Hamlin replied.
“I mean, phone calls, e-mails, in-person meetings, Zooms. It just never stops. It never stops because, again, every decision you make has a cause and effect somewhere. So you make a decision, ‘Hey we’re going to do this,’ Well, then how does it affect B & C?”
“I think that now that is done; I see myself having a ton more time to just focus on the tasks at hand. I think my schedule is going to be dramatically better in the next 9 weeks.”
Hamlin happy to be staying at “home” Joe Gibbs Racing
After announcing his extension with Joe Gibbs Racing, Denny Hamlin opened up on his feelings towards the organization which has been his “home” for the last 20 years.
“My relationship with Joe (Gibbs), my team, and everyone at JGR means a lot to me. We have accomplished so much together over the years. I’m excited to finally announce this so we can put all our focus on chasing the championship,” Hamlin said.
As for his team, 23XI Racing’s future, it is going to be the same dynamic with JGR and Toyota as it was, considering Hamlin claimed “nothing really changes,” in that regard.
