Denny Hamlin extends NASCAR Cup contract with Joe Gibbs Racing
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Denny Hamlin signed a multi-year contract extension with Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series.
The all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins leader at JGR will continue driving the No. 11 car in 2026 and 2027 at least. Hamlin has piloted the No. 11 since the very start of his career in 2005. He has racked 58 Cup victories, including four in 2025, putting him 11th all-time on the wins list.
“Joe and everyone at JGR are family to me and have done so much for me over the last 20 years,” Hamlin said. “We’ve had a solid start to this season and we have been able to welcome some great new partners this year, so there are a lot of exciting things happening with our team not only now, but also into the future.”
Hamlin’s 58 wins includes three Daytona 500 victories (2016, 2019, 2020), three Southern 500 wins (2010, 2017, 2021) and a Coca-Cola 600 win in 2022. He has a record 18 playoff appearances and four Championship 4 appearances (2014, 2019, 2020 and 2021).
In 706 starts, Hamlin has 244 top-five finishes, 369 top-10s, 44 poles and led 15,849 of the 194,696 laps he has run in his career.
“I really appreciate Denny and everything he has meant to our organization,” said Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. “It is just really special when you think about everything we’ve experienced over the past 20 years, from that first moment when J.D. [Gibbs] recognized his talent at a test session, until now. It is remarkable in any sport to compete at the level Denny has for this long and we are thrilled he has been able to spend his entire career with us.”
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com