Denny Hamlin Will Be Trying To ‘Beat Your Favorite Driver’ For Years To Come With New Contract Extension

If you were hoping Denny Hamlin would hang up his helmet and retire soon, he has bad news for you.

The 44-year-old driver has signed a contract extension with Joe Gibbs Racing for an undisclosed multi-year period.

Hamlin has spent his entire 21-year Cup Series career with Joe Gibbs Racing and has a team record 706 starts heading into this weekend’s Brickyard 400, which BetMGM has him favored to win for the first time.

“Joe and everyone at JGR are family to me and have done so much for me over the last 20 years,” Hamlin said in a news release on the contract. “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.”

Read Also: DENNY HAMLIN SAYS THIS IS HIS SUPERPOWER AFTER 55TH WIN

“I really appreciate Denny and everything he has meant to our organization,” Joe Gibbs said. “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.”

Hamlin has 58 career wins and has said his goal is to pass Kevin Harvick’s 60 wins to claim a spot on the the all-time Top 10 list. He’s taken on the guise of a villain in recent years, often telling fans he “beat your favorite driver” after a win.

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE FREE AMERICAN CARS AND RACING NEWSLETTER FOR THE LATEST

He’s also at odds with NASCAR itself in his role as co-owner of the 23XI Racing team that, along with Front Row Motorsports, is currently suing the sanctioning body, claiming its latest charter agreement with the teams is violates antitrust laws.

23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are currently entering races as unchartered teams, but NASCAR has taken steps to ensure they will be able to compete in every race while the lawsuit plays out, with a trial currently scheduled to begin on Dec. 1 after the end of the season.