Yahoo Autos Hamlin signs multiyear deal to stay on at Joe Gibbs Racing
Denny Hamlin has signed a multiyear contract extension with Joe Gibbs Racing as the No. 11 Toyota Camry driver.
Hamlin debuted for the organization in Oct. 2005 at Kansas Speedway before becoming a full-time driver in 2006, winning rookie of the year honors. He has 50 victories in the NASCAR Cup Series, including three in the Daytona 500, three in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway and a Coca-Cola 600 triumph. Hamlin has also won the non-points All-Star Race.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
”It is amazing to think it has been almost 20 years since J.D. (Gibbs) first saw him race and we signed him to that first contract,” Joe Gibbs said. ”He has been a big part of Joe Gibbs Racing ever since then, and we look forward to that continuing for years to come.”
Hamlin is Joe Gibbs Racing’s longest-tenured driver and has made over 600 starts in the Cup Series.
”Joe Gibbs Racing has been my home for almost 20 years now,” Hamlin said. ”My relationship with Joe (Gibbs), my team, and everyone at JGR means a lot to me. We have accomplished so much together over the years. I’m excited to finally announce this so we can put all our focus on chasing the championship.”
Hamlin and Gibbs discussed the new deal Monday on Hamlin’s podcast, Actions Detrimental. On the same show, Hamlin confirmed that 23XI Racing, the two-car team he co-owns, will continue its alliance with Toyota.
“Nothing really changes,” Hamlin said. “We’re going to continue on the path we’ve been on. It was my goal to make that a championship organization within five years; we’re going to continue on that trajectory. I think that we’re in a good spot. Our relationship with Joe Gibbs Racing is in a good spot. So this kind of solidifies all those deals as done.”
