Matt Johnson
Denny Hamlin remains one of the best drivers in NASCAR right now, putting himself in the mix for his first-ever Cup Series championship in his age-45 season. With retirement on the horizon, it seems Joe Gibbs Racing now has a long-term plan for the No. 11 car.
Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports wrote in his latest NASCAR silly season roundup that with Hamlin still planning to reture after the 2027, JGR has now focused its attention on Brent Crews with a development plan in place for the young driver.
Related: NASCAR Silly Season Roundup
Crews, who turned 18 years old in March, is one of the top NASCAR prospects right now. Viewed as a generational talent, in the same class as Corey Heim, he’s been making a name for himself this season in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
Entering a break in the O’Reilly Series schedule, Crews sits 14th in the standings. He is just 3 points behind Rajah Caruth on The Chase cutline and 32 points back of Parker Retzlaff in first place. One key difference, though, Crews has only run 12 races compared to 16 each by his peers. The teenager’s average points per race (32) is tied for the fifth-highest in the O’Reilly Series with Brandon Jones (512 points in 16 races).
It’s worth noting that many around NASCAR don’t seem to believe that Hamlin will walk away from full-time racing after 2027. From members of 23XI Racing, the team he co-owns, to executives with Joe Gibbs Racing, many in the industry believe he’s too good to walk away.
Of course, Hamlin has also said that he wants to retire before his talent level drops off and he loses something behind the wheel. He’s arguably the favorite to win The Chase this season and his consistency in 2026 suggests he can win multiple races per year for years to come.
It’s very possible that Hamlin decides to race past the 2027 season. Doing so, perhaps returning to JGR on a one-year deal for 2028, would allow for Crews to have more time to develop. Regardless of the timeline, it’s clear that JGR’s succession plan for the No. 11 car is in place and the team’s track record with this speaks for itself.
