Denny Hamlin rewrote the record books at Michigan, earning his third Cup win of the season and becoming just the 10th driver to win a race after his 700th start. The victory was his 57th in the Cup Series — all with Joe Gibbs Racing — breaking Kyle Busch’s team record of 56 wins. Yet, in Hamlin’s eyes, milestones like these don’t rest solely on individual brilliance.
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While acknowledging the records, he pointed to the collective force behind his success, crediting the team that has stood with him every step of the way.
“This is one of the best organizations over the last three-four decades. They’ve been great,” Hamlin said on NASCAR’s The Day After. “For me to be the winningest driver, having my entire career there, and I don’t take for granted too that being with a team like that is a lot of the reason I have success.
He added, “The reason, my skill level doesn’t take us to 57 wins. It’s because I’m with a really, really good team. I think that that matters. Certainly, when we hang that banner today, it’s my job to give them thanks for the opportunities they’ve given me.”
Hamlin also shared a behind-the-scenes tradition at JGR, where Monday morning after a team win is marked by a banner-hanging ceremony in the garage. Following his Darlington victory, JGR President Dave Alpern reminded him he had tied Busch’s win total. That moment lit a fire in Hamlin, who made it his mission to break the tie and claim the record outright.
Kyle Petty believes not many will come near Denny Hamlin’s win count
After the race, while weighing his career win total, Hamlin pointed out that younger stars like Joey Logano or Kyle Larson might one day surpass him. He acknowledged that time is on their side. But for many, including Kyle Petty, Hamlin’s remarks came off as modesty rather than foresight.
Petty believes the JGR veteran will sail past 60 career victories before hanging up his helmet. That would plant Hamlin firmly inside the top 10 on the all-time wins list — no minor milestone. And catching that mark would demand rare, sustained excellence from Logano, Larson, or anyone chasing from behind.
Logano, now 35 with 37 wins to his name, would need to match his output from the past nine seasons across the next nine, a feat requiring 18 years of top-tier performance. Petty called that climb “nearly impossible.”
As for Larson, aged 32 with 32 wins, he’s closer in pace. Yet, the road ahead is steep, with increasing manufacturer parity likely to throttle win totals across the board.
Realistically, Petty believes it will take decades before anyone breaches the 60-win threshold again. For him, Hamlin is the final torchbearer of that rarefied class and one of the finest ever to grip a Cup Series wheel.
