Farah Ben Gamra
Denny Hamlin has talked for years about wanting to retire while he’s still at the top of his game. The longtime Joe Gibbs Racing driver has repeatedly pointed to the end of the 2027 NASCAR Cup Series season as the likely finish line for his career.
But after another strong start to 2026, not everyone is convinced he’ll actually stick to that plan.
At 45 years old, Hamlin is still winning races and contending for championships. Last weekend’s win at Nashville Superspeedway was already his second of the season, and it’s making some people wonder whether walking away in 2027 will be as easy as he thinks.
One of those people is JGR president Dave Alpern. Speaking on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Alpern admitted he’s skeptical that Hamlin’s retirement timeline is completely set.
“I’ll believe that when I see it,” Alpern joked.
Which is not surprising.
Hamlin’s Nashville win was one of the most impressive drives of the season. After being penalized for jumping the start and sent to the back of the field, he methodically worked his way forward before beating teammates Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe in a late-race battle. The victory was the 62nd Cup Series win of his career. That tied him with Jeff Gordon for third on the all-time list of wins after a driver’s 700th Cup Series start. Only Kevin Harvick and Richard Petty have recorded more wins.
Related: Denny Hamlin Reveals Key Decision That Won Him Nashville Race
Joe Gibbs Racing Isn’t Ready to Let Hamlin Go
As long as Hamlin keeps producing results like this, Joe Gibbs Racing may not be eager to see him walk away.
“He may have to fight us to leave,” Alpern said. “If he’s racing like this, they’ll be some conversations. I actually saw Denny yesterday and I joked about that, I said, ‘Let’s not get too hasty’.”
Alpern believes the biggest factor will be whether Hamlin still feels capable of winning every week. If that confidence remains, convincing him to retire may become difficult.
“The great thing about Denny, he doesn’t want to do this unless he feels like he can win every weekend. Right now, he does. I think we’ll get to about this time next year and we’ll evaluate. If he’s still running like he’s running now this time next year, I’d have a hard time thinking he’s leaving. But you never know.”
As long as he’s running near the front, there’s little reason for the team to start thinking about life without him.
Hamlin Doesn’t Want to Wait for the Downturn
While JGR may be open to extending the relationship, Hamlin’s perspective is different. For him, retirement is about timing.
During his own SiriusXM NASCAR Radio appearance, Hamlin explained that he wants to step away before age or performance forces the decision for him.
“I want to feel like I do right now in the sense [of] knowing, every Sunday morning, ‘Alright, I got a good shot to win today,’” Hamlin said.
“I have to feel that. My ego is very paranoid about the downtrend.”
It’s a mindset many athletes struggle with. Hamlin knows the decline eventually comes for everyone. His goal is to recognize it before it arrives.
“It’s going to come. We don’t know when it is. I just want to get ahead of it before it actually does. Sometimes you have to leave some on the table and say, ‘I’m not running next year. I could, but I’m not going to.’ That’s what I want, is to know that I still could do it if I really, really wanted to.”
In other words, Hamlin would rather retire knowing he could still win races than stay long enough to find out he can’t.
Even with retirement still more than a year away, Joe Gibbs Racing has already started evaluating what comes next.
Toyota’s development system gives JGR plenty of potential candidates. Brent Crews, William Sawalich, Taylor Gray and Brandon Jones are all part of the organization’s current pipeline, and drivers such as Kaden Honeycutt, Gio Ruggiero, Max Reaves and Isabella Robusto continue to work their way through Toyota’s ranks.
Still, finding Hamlin’s replacement won’t be easy. He’s been with Joe Gibbs Racing full-time since 2006 and has built one of the most successful careers in NASCAR. Replacing a driver with 62 Cup wins and a future Hall of Fame resume will definitely be a challenge, no matter when the 45-year-ol driver decides to leave.
For now, he says 2027 remains the target. But if he continues racing at this level over the next two seasons, Joe Gibbs Racing may have a hard time letting one of the sport’s best drivers walk away.
