KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Denny Hamlin’s recent contract negotiations with Joe Gibbs Racing triggered moments of reflection for the 42-year-old veteran racer.
Those career discussions, of course, evolved into a multiyear agreement with the only organization for which Hamlin has ever driven, announced Aug. 30 and solidifying Hamlin in the No. 11 Toyota for more time to come.
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The Virginia native first set foot in the NASCAR Cup Series in October 2005 — fittingly at Kansas Speedway, where he will race Sunday in the Hollywood Casino 400 (3 p.m. ET, USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Nearer to the end of his career than its beginning, Hamlin said his perspective on contracts has indeed evolved since he first entered stock-car racing’s upper echelons.
What they signify now, he said, is more related to what’s left ahead on track than monetary gain.
“When you are younger, you see it as a financial stabilizer,” Hamlin said in a Saturday press conference. “For me, it‘s how many more Daytona 500s do I have left? How many more opportunities do I have to win certain events that are special to me personally or help me accomplish a goal that I‘m trying to accomplish? It really puts in perspective the urgency of accomplishing as much as you can here in the short term.
“When you are younger, in your 20s or low 30s, you have so much runway, where if you don‘t get it this time, I‘ll get it the next (contract period). I‘ve been very, very fortunate in the financial planning that my team has put together — we never planned past (age) 40 as far as income was concerned, so this is all me telling myself, how many more opportunities will I have?”
There is no definitive answer to that question, but his resume already stands tall with three Daytona 500 championships, three Southern 500 victories at Darlington Raceway and a Coca-Cola 600 triumph at Charlotte Motor Speedway helping make up his 50 total Cup wins. Going out quietly is something he hopes to avoid.
“I want to compete at a high level in my final year. I don‘t want to kind of trickle off. I‘m way too competitive to do it,” Hamlin said. “There is no way I could go to the race track not knowing that I could win. I understand there will be a day when things fall off. Things get slower for you. You will never know when that day will come, but now that I‘ve been doing it so long — it definitely puts a sense of urgency in years like this where, man, I’ve got all of the things I need to compete each and every week.
“This could be one of the best shots we‘ve had to win it all. You really put an emphasis on it, knowing there’s only so many total races left. And if you want to get to your personal goals, you‘ve got to capitalize on every single weekend.”
Cars and teams also evolve so quickly in NASCAR that competitors understand success can be fleeting — gone as quickly as it comes. Hamlin dominated much of the Southern 500 last weekend at Darlington, leading 177 of 367 laps, but a loose wheel in the closing 100 laps mired Hamlin deep in the field and out of winning contention.
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The sting of missed opportunities resonates that much more when fewer races remain out the windshield.
“I would say it‘s natural to get a little more emotional when those situations come about because, like last week — how many more chances at the Southern 500 will I have to win?” Hamlin said. “We don‘t even know — will our cars compete next year? Will we be as strong? No one knows. There’s so many ebbs and flows in the sport, so you always want to take advantage of the opportunities.
“(Crew chief) Chris Gabehart keeps a strict tally of when our running or winning capability is a one. Last week marked our 59th race-winning-capability weekend. We haven‘t won nearly that many — 59 times. That is a lot since 2019. When we look at why we haven‘t, I feel comfortable saying I‘m doing all I can do. Sometimes, these things are just out of our hands.
“I can only do my job to the best of my ability and continue to try to bring the team up. I really feel confident — no matter what the outcome — that I‘m not letting any weekends slip away. I wish I honestly had the discipline way back when, in the early 30s and 20s, that I do now with my work ethic. It‘s paid huge dividends.”