Denny Hamlin confirms NASCAR retirement plan

Denny Hamlin has doubled down on his NASCAR retirement plan as the hunt for that elusive Cup Series title moves towards its climax.

The 44-year-old Hamlin has claimed 58 Cup Series race wins, and he will go down as a legend of the sport when he does eventually call it a day. A championship is the only thing missing on his spectacular resume.

But he knows that time is now running short to achieve that final ambition - his current Joe Gibbs Racing contract runs through the 2026 season.

Hamlin has said before that this will likely be his last deal in the sport, and now he has confirmed that remains the case, in a question and answer session with The Athletic.

Journalist Jeff Gluck took Hamlin back to 2010 and a similar session, where Denny was again asked about a retirement date. His answer then was: “Probably until I’m 37 or 38 years old. There’s too much outside of racing to do this until I’m 50 or whatever".

Hamlin set for NASCAR farewell in 2026

After admitting/joking that he had missed the mark on that one, Hamlin talked about his state of mind right now when it comes to retirement. And while there is an element still of getting used to the idea, the end of 2026 is the current plan.

"I’m trying to settle my mind into it. How I feel somewhat confident is (at Indianapolis) I thought, ‘I’ve only got two more chances at this - damn it’. I’m preparing for that in my mind. I don’t know though.

"There could be tons of outside factors that change it, but I’m going to try to see this as the last one [contract].”

Hamlin has registered four Cup Series wins in 2025 and currently leads the playoff standings with a postseason berth clinched long ago.

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