What Will 2026 Look Like for the Three-Time Daytona 500 Champion?
As Denny Hamlin rounded turns three and four to put the field to three laps to go in the championship race at Phoenix on Sunday, a long streak looked to end. Hamlin, in the final race of his 20th season, was mere minutes away from capturing the first championship of his career. Unfortunately for the Joe Gibbs Racing 11 team, the caution came out after fellow championship contender William Byron blew a tire with three laps to go. It meant overtime would decide the season. A season's worth of work would come down to two laps.
Hamlin headed down pit road with the rest of the Championship Four and opted to take four tires. However, Hamlin surrendered the lead as multiple cars stayed out and others, including Kyle Larson, took two tires. Hamlin lined up a couple of rows behind Larson, who lagged behind the rest of the Championship Four for the majority of the day. This caution was his only shot to become a two-time champion.
The green flag flew, and Hamlin had nothing for Larson, who powered around the outside to seal a third-place finish and the 2025 title. Hamlin was second in the Championship Four, falling short once again. Hamlin pulled his car down pit road and sat slumped in his car, dejected and defeated, soaking it in. When he got out, he was greeted by his fiancée Jordan Fish, crew chief Chris Gayle, and team owner Joe Gibbs, all consoling him after what many considered the hardest loss of his career. Hamlin led 208 laps on the day, the most of a Championship Four competitor in title race history.
Typically, champions and fans celebrate and discuss who won the title, but after the race, the community was struck by the fact that Hamlin could not capture the one thing he's never won in his career once again. Larson mentioned it in his post-race interview and again at the awards ceremony on Tuesday. Hamlin usually records his podcast, "Actions Detrimental," a day or two after the race. He has yet to record the episode following the title race, leaving fans questioning what is next for Hamlin.
Through 20 seasons, Hamlin has 60 wins, won Rookie of the Year in 2006, won the 2016, 2019, and 2020 Daytona 500s, made five Championship Four races, and started his own race team. Everything is there but the title. Hamlin is set to return in 2026 under his contract with JGR, which runs through 2027, but he has yet to announce his plans for 2026. If Hamlin returns, he will likely be a title favorite, considering he won the most races in 2025 with six total trips to victory lane. Hamlin said after the race on Sunday, "If you can't win that one, I don't know which one you can win," and "In this moment, I never want to race a car again."
I anticipate that Hamlin will return in 2026 and continue to be a threat to capture the championship. However, I would not be shocked if he does not re-sign and retires after the 2027 season. Hamlin has done so much for this sport despite his controversial past. He deserves a farewell tour, whether in 2026, 2027, or at some point in the future. I expect Hamlin to be back. He's a competitor, and I don't expect him to step away just yet.
