Some drivers race like time doesn’t matter, age has never stopped names like Harry Gant or Mark Thompson from suiting up. Compared to them, Denny Hamlin is still in his prime, and based on his performance, he could easily keep going. But after nearly two decades at the top, one surprising comment has fans wondering if he’s finally eyeing the finish line.
Take Harry Gant, the guy they called “Handsome Harry” or “Mr. September.” In 1992, at 52 years and 219 days old, he pulled off a stunner, winning at Michigan to become the oldest driver ever to claim a Cup Series race.
Then there’s Mark Thompson, who took it to another level. In 2018, at a jaw-dropping 66 years, seven months, and nine days old, he rolled onto the Daytona 500 grid and brought it home 22nd. No, he wasn’t chasing a trophy, but just getting to the finish line at that age in NASCAR’s biggest race? That’s the kind of story that gets told in the garage for decades.
Denny Hamlin, though, has been a different kind of ageless wonder. Since bursting onto the Cup Series scene in 2005, he’s stacked over 50 wins, including three Daytona 500s (2016, 2019, 2020), and earned a rep as one of the most consistent drivers of his generation.
If there’s a NASCAR Hall of Fame for “best careers without a championship,” Hamlin’s the headliner. Fans figured he’d keep racing for years, chasing that elusive title. But a single sentence in a recent interview has everyone buzzing, hinting that the 44-year-old might be eyeing the exit ramp sooner than anyone expected.
Does Denny Hamlin finally see the end of the tunnel?
Sitting down with Jeff Gluck for a chat, Hamlin got real about his future in a way that caught everyone off guard. Gluck brought up a 2010 interview where Hamlin, then 29, said he’d probably race until 37 or 38 because “there’s too much outside of racing to do this until I’m 50.” Laughing with his friends, Hamlin quipped, “We missed the mark on that one, boys.” Gluck pressed further, noting Hamlin’s recent two-year contract extension through 2026 and asking if this was really it.
Hamlin’s reply was a bombshell: “I’m clearly not good at predicting. 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.”
That one sentence, “I’m going to try to see this as the last one,” hit like a thunderclap. Hamlin’s been tantalizingly close to a championship, making the Championship 4 five times, including three straight from 2019 to 2021, only to trip up with pit road blunders, bad luck, or getting outrun at the end. This season, though, the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team is clicking, with multiple wins and strong playoff positioning.
The Next Gen car, now in its third year, seems tailor-made for Hamlin’s precision, especially at short tracks like Martinsville, where he’s a five-time winner. If he can string together a clean Championship 4 run, 2025 could finally be the year he ditches the “best without a title” tag. But that single sentence suggests he’s mentally bracing for the end, making every race a countdown to a potential swan song.
SVG’s road course reign leaves Hamlin speechless
While Hamlin’s pondering his final laps, he’s also marveling at a driver who’s making the Cup Series his playground. Shane van Gisbergen, the New Zealander tearing up road courses, notched his fourth win of 2025 at Watkins Glen, cementing his status as untouchable on those tracks. On his Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin didn’t mince words about SVG’s dominance.
“I think he wins road courses for the foreseeable future. In straight-up equipment, Connor Zilisch’s beating him in Xfinity, so you could say a one-two battle is coming. But this tire and car react a lot different than the Xfinity car. Connor’s fine-tuning his skill there, but in Cup, he’s not qualifying P1 or P2 yet. It’s unrealistic expectations, but it’s what we expect.” Hamlin sees Zilisch, the Xfinity wunderkind, as the only potential challenger, but even that’s a stretch for now.
Hamlin’s take on the Cup field is blunt: “I don’t think so. If anything, SVG just keeps getting more track time, and the gap has stabilized.” With four straight road course wins, Mexico City, Chicago, Sonoma, and Watkins Glen, SVG’s in a league of his own, and Hamlin’s not betting on anyone catching him. “We have to appreciate the greatness we’re seeing on this type of racetrack. It’s something to be admired and exposes the rest of the field.”
But he also hinted at fan fatigue, noting, “There’s a certain element where the fans will get a little fatigued with it.” SVG’s reign is a reminder of what Hamlin’s chasing, a legacy-defining run. As Hamlin eyes his final shot at a title, SVG’s untouchable form underscores the kind of dominance he’s been chasing his whole career, making that retirement hint all the more poignant.
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