At 44 years previous, Denny Hamlin is beginning to rise up there in age. Nonetheless, he simply gained three races within the 2024 NASCAR Cup Collection season. However he additionally simply misplaced Chris Gabehart as his crew chief to a promotion at Joe Gibbs Racing. So, what number of extra wins does he have left?
Denny Hamlin and Chris Gayle have quite a bit to show in 2025. After seeing the previous few years of Martin Truex Jr., sans these three wins in 2023, the decline might be speedy and sudden. Does Gayle have what it takes to maintain an getting older Hamlin on the high of his sport?
Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic talked about Denny and his successful methods on The Teardown. Regardless of the crew chief change, these two NASCAR insiders imagine we haven’t seen the final of Hamlin in victory lane.
“No. He’s received one, he’s received no less than yet another in him,” Bianchi mentioned about Hamlin. “A minimum of yet another.”
His cohost went into additional element, making the argument that we very properly could have seen his closing win. Nothing is assured.
“Yeah I believe it relies on how this yr goes, proper?” Gluck responded about Denny Hamlin’s successful days. “As a result of getting a, as we’ve talked about I believe within the final episode of this podcast we’ve had conditions the place we undoubtedly didn’t see it coming by way of like, anyone’s final profession win, and we had been caught off guard. The place you return now and also you go, ‘properly, yeah, that basically was.’ That may very well be very properly the case. However I believe it relies on how this yr goes in two senses, proper? One for Joe Gibbs Racing.
“They hadn’t gained in the whole second half of the yr, regardless that they had been shut, clearly. You realize, are they going to return out of the gate and be a successful group once more and have that pace early within the season. If not, in the event that they’re struggling or one thing, everyone on the crew is making an attempt to get to victory lane, after which you may have Hamlin with a brand new crew chief. Which, not saying something about both of their talents however simply the chemistry it takes to win and the communication degree of what modifications are wanted and all that stuff. That may play an element and that may take time. So, once more, with a 44-year-old man … Denny Hamlin’s the oldest man within the sequence now with Truex retiring. However yeah, I believe it’s completely doable.”
Denny Hamlin doesn’t have any intention of retiring any time quickly. Even when he leaves Joe Gibbs, he has his personal Cup Collection group. So, don’t suppose Hamlin will simply depart within the subsequent couple of years. However does he have one other win in him? I’d say sure.