Denny Hamlin has a simple statement concerning his future at Joe Gibbs Racing amid zero championships in 20 years

Denny Hamlin has weighed in on his future with Joe Gibbs Racing, a team he has spent 20 years racing for. In a recent interview with The Athletic, the #11 driver made a straightforward comment, as he targets his first Cup Series Championship in his 21st year.

Denny Hamlin joined Joe Gibbs Racing in 2004 as a development driver. He was a Late Model Stock driver at the time. With the same team, he participated in the Truck and Xfinity (then Busch) Series.

In 2006, Hamlin moved to the Cup Series full-time and has been racing for Joe Gibbs' team ever since. However, in his 20 years of racing in the most premium form of stock car racing, Hamlin hasn't won a championship.

As his contract is set to run out at the end of the year, there is less buzz surrounding it. The chatters within the sport have it that the #11 driver will re-sign with Joe Gibbs Racing. When asked about the same by The Athletic, here's what the 44-year-old said:

“Working on it. Should be something done somewhat soon.”

Denny Hamlin drives alongside Christopher Bell, Ty Gibbs, and Chase Briscoe in the Joe Gibbs Racing, and all four drivers are on full-time charters. While the other three drivers are relatively new to the team, Hamlin has been a JGR faithful for two decades.

Even though Hamlin does not have a championship, his NASCAR Cup Series statistics are impressive. The #11 driver has 698 races to his name in 21 years, and he has racked up 56 wins, 43 poles, and 364 Top 10s.

Last year, Hamlin finished in eighth place. In 2010, he finished a career-high second place. Coming into 2025, the #11 JGR driver is once again in contention for the championship.

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Denny Hamlin's season so far in 2025

Denny Hamlin is a strong contender for the NASCAR Cup Series Championship this season, as he has delivered some strong performances. The #11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver has already won two back-to-back races and has five Top 5s and six Top 10s. He has led a total of 371 laps and is currently sixth in the drivers' standings with 390 points.

NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin (11) and his crew celebrate the win during the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Hamlin also finished as the runner-up at Phoenix, Bristol, and lost out on multiple track positions after he faced fuel issues at Charlotte. Hamlin, with the #11 Toyota Camry XSE, showed speed and was fast around the corners.

In a nutshell, Hamlin, with two wins at Martinsville and Darlington, an average start position of 13.154 and average finish position of 15.231, is once again a championship contender in 2025.