Joe Gibbs joined SiriusXM Radio NASCAR Tuesday to provide an update on where things stand at the negotiating table between he and star driver Denny Hamlin.
Hamlin, who has been with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) for 18 full-time seasons, is currently set to be out of a contract after the 2023 Cup Series season. That is, if both sides can’t come to an agreement on a new deal before then, which could happen soon, Gibbs said.
“My hope is we’re kinda moving forward with all of that,” Gibbs said. “Hopefully there’s going to be something to announce here real quick. I think that’s kinda where we are… And so you’re working hard on ’em and certainly all of us want that to happen.
“We want Denny here. It’s been 17 years he’s helped us build our race team along with all those other guys that have helped us over the years from a driver standpoint. We would love for him to be here and go his entire career and retire here. That’s kinda our dream, that’s what we would like.”
Toyota Racing Development President chimes in on Denny Hamlin’s status with Joe Gibbs Racing
Gibbs’ words echo that of Toyota Racing Development (TRD) President David Wilson, who emphatically said last month that Hamlin would return to JGR and Toyota in 2024.
“He will be back. There’s no question in our mind, there’s no question in Joe’s [Gibbs] mind,” Wilson said, via NASCAR.com. “We’re working through some details, and it’s a complicated consideration because now he’s not just a driver for Joe Gibbs Racing. He’s also a team owner, and given that there has to be alignment for Toyota and Denny across both those considerations, just have some stuff that we’re working on.
“We still intend, I know Denny has always wanted to and intends to retire as a driver from Joe Gibbs Racing and continue as a team owner with Toyota. That’s certainly our intent, and we’re working very vigorously to make sure that, in fact, happens.”
Hamlin, 42, has been a model of consistency during his time with JGR, notching 50 wins and finishing in the top-10 of the final points standings in all but three seasons. A three-time Daytona 500 winner, Hamlin remains in search of his first Cup Series championship. He enters the 2023 playoffs as one of the favorites — behind only Martin Truex Jr. and William Byron in the points standings going into the first segment of the postseason.