“Now that’s progressive”. No we are not talking about any revolution here. That’s Denny Hamlin introducing the new paint scheme for his car with his new sponsor, Progressive Insurance. Hamlin’s been a force with Joe Gibbs Racing, driving that No. 11 car like it’s part of him. For years, FedEx and Mavis Tires had his back, their logos plastered across his Toyota Camry. But by the end of 2024, both were gone. Just like that, a big chunk of stability vanished. Even fans couldn’t believe how fast his sponsor list flipped. From FedEx and Yahoo to National Debt Relief and King’s Hawaiian in one offseason was wild.
The sport we love is changing, and not always for the better. Sponsorship drama, like the kind Denny’s been wrestling with, is starting to overshadow the racing. Honestly, it hurts to see a legend scrambling like that.
Progressive Insurance stepped up this March, signing on for 18 races in 2025. It’s a big deal of $168 billion worth of backing, starting at Homestead and rolling into Martinsville. However, it’s the way sponsorships have changed that sticks out for Hamlin.
Speaking about it before Homestead-Miami, Hamlin said, “It seems like the throwback is lost a little bit for sure, and a lot of it is that you, you know, it’s just we get kind of mixed up in the sense of, like, there’s no really defined rules to it, so you just kind of have a mix there. But it is, you know, there’s some very cool paint schemes that you see. It’s very difficult to make the cars look the same because they are so different… you don’t have buy-in from everyone, so it’s kind of, you know, there’s a mix and match throughout the field, but it’s fine.”
NASCAR, Motorsport, USA South Point 400-Cup Practice & Qualifying Oct 19, 2024 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin 11 during qualifying for the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Las Vegas Las Vegas Motor Speedway Nevada USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xGaryxA.xVasquezx 20241019_gav_sv5_038
The Throwback events used to be magic. A nod to the past, paint schemes dripping with history. However, it’s not simple. Sponsors are pulling strings, and the old-school vibe is fading. When HMS driver Larson came out with Terry Labonte’s color scheme, it was a special moment, but these unique cars are fading from the sport.
Denny Hamlin is now few of the older lot left in NASCAR and he reminded us, “You look at photos that would surface on social media from the 90s and 2000s and you just took a snapshot of the field you could name every car driver from 1 to 40… but now it is certainly very very hard and you’ve got sometimes multiple sponsors on one car and each one wants something a little bit different… what I like about Progressive and his paint scheme is like it’s going to be identifiable it’s one color basically that is unique… it’s hard because every sponsor wants a little something different and certainly it’s, it’s harder to, you know, get the money that you used to get back in the day.”
A few years ago, one sponsor carried a driver all year. Paint schemes used to be artwork like Jeff Gordon’s Rainbow or Dale Jr.’s Budweiser throwbacks. Now it’s vinyl wraps and corporate deals. Clothing company Columbia had teamed up with Lucasfilm for Star Wars-inspired paint scheme for Bubba Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota Camry. In 2023, the paint scheme included elements of the iconic Star Wars character Boba Fett (nicknamed “Bubba Fett”). Gone are the days of iconic car paint schemes being enough to identify drivers. NASCAR today doesn’t have the STP-Petty connection or the Goodwrench Chevrolet and Dale Sr.’s connection of old.
For now, Hamlin’s big worries remain sponsorships. As he previously explained, “Yeah, I mean, it doesn’t take pressure off of me necessarily. More Joe Gibbs Racing obviously. When you have a loss in revenue there, things certainly, it can make things tighter on their side. But really, it’s good for them to kind of have an anchor partner and certainly for my fans’ sake, you know, they’re going to be able to identify with me week to week.” Even Coach Gibbs admitted back when Progressive jumped on board, “Progressive is a premiere national brand and a leader in the insurance industry. We are thrilled to have them partner with Denny (Hamlin) and our No. 11 team.”
Denny Hamlin joins in on the Homestead Miamib debate
It’s no secret fans want Homestead Miami to reclaim its title as the championship race. Ever since the last championship race at the track back in 2019, they’ve been dying to go back to the track for the grand finale. And recently, when William Byron spoke about it, it inspired more fans to take up the conversation. It’s not just fans who want it back. Hamlin has joined in on the action as well!
Explaining his perspective, Hamlin said, “I would certainly like to see it play a bigger factor in our championship.” Elaborating on his point, he said, “Whether it’s in the Playoffs, just a part of the championship race or round, or whatever it might be, I’d like to see it be a part of that as like we just talked about, the driver makes a bigger difference at this track compared to the car.”
It’s no wonder he feels bringing the race back to a more important role is necessary. Homestead-Miami has been the place fans and drivers go for great racing. The wide track makes it perfectly suitable for competition. Multiple grooves mean that drivers are willing to take more risks. Just ask Tyler Reddick about it. And add to that a surface that makes tires fall off quickly and you have the recipe for a perfect race.
Well, if Homestead does indeed come into play, perhaps Hamlin can have a bigger shot at winning a championship since he already has three wins at the track. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!
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