Joe Gibbs, in a recent interview, placed much of the credit for his team's success on the No. 11 driver’s ability to work really hard and stick to doing what needs to be done. This praise from the veteran team owner comes at a time when Denny Hamlin is enjoying his best form in the final phase of his career with three wins already this season.

Asked about Hamlin’s resilience, Gibbs said, “I think all of us here, I know you guys and all of us here, we know that how tough NASCAR is. We know this is the best people in the world racing stock cars. And we see Denny now, I think at this point in his career, I think this most might be the most exceptional thing he's done.”

What must be noted is that Hamlin is in his 21st Cup season with JGR, which is also the only organization for which he has raced full-time at the Cup level. Despite such a long-standing record, as Gibbs pointed out, the veteran continues to work hard.

“Because you think about most athletes, you know, they get to a point where they have everything they need, okay, and they just lose the drive and passion,” Gibbs said, before narrowing it down to, “And what we're witnessing with Denny is really just the opposite of that.”

Hamlin is in the final phase of his career, but his numbers don't look like that at all. The last two races where he has charged right from the last to first just sums up his steady form which refuses to slow down.

Highlighting Hamlin’s role within the organization, Gibbs added, “He's full-blown into the simulator, works extremely hard. In our meetings, he means so much to the other young drivers, just hearing him describe what happens during the race, the way he looks at things.”

It was clear that Hamlin, for the team, means far more than simple race wins as he continues to shape the team’s future. On that note, let’s see how the influential driver’s latest run at Michigan went.

Denny Hamlin's Michigan charge adds another milestone to his legacy

Gibbs’ comments come against the backdrop of one of Hamlin’s most dominant drives of 2026. Add to that the momentous record that Hamlin has equaled, as he is now tied with NASCAR Hall of Famer Kyle Busch for ninth on the sport’s all-time wins list.

At Michigan, after Hamlin won the pole with a lap speed of 195.117 mph, he was forced to start from the rear due to repairs on his No. 11 Toyota.

Still, the veteran managed to move through the field and charge to the front, just like he did at Nashville, before winning by more than 11 seconds, marking the 63rd Cup Series victory of his career.

With this win, Hamlin is now ninth on the all-time Cup wins list, matching Kyle Busch, to whom he gave a heartfelt tribute after winning. It's due to this passion and resilience to do what he does best that Denny Hamlin is the central figure in Joe Gibbs Racing’s legacy.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Uday Jakhar

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason