Denny Hamlin Eyes Retirement, Successor Emerges

Denny Hamlin intends to retire from full-time Cup Series racing at the end of the 2027 season. He recently won a million-dollar prize at the NASCAR All-Star Race.

Hamlin remains one of the best drivers in the sport, leading 624 laps in the 2026 Cup Series and averaging a 9.92 finish position.

Joe Gibbs Racing has a plan in place, with O'Reilly Series driver Brent Crews emerging as the focus for the development driver side to replace Hamlin in the No. 11 car.

Brent Crews has finished inside the top 10 in seven of the 10 races he's run in the O'Reilly Series this season.

Denny Hamlin sits atop the Cup Series in laps led and has a legitimate shot at winning at every oval track on the circuit each week, making his potential retirement a significant event.

Crews, who turned 18 in March, has placed inside the top five in four races and is widely regarded as one of the top prospects in NASCAR.

Whenever Hamlin decides to retire, Crews seems ready to step in behind the wheel of the No. 11 car, with a Cup Series ride inevitable for the young driver.

Denny Hamlin's average finishing position is even better than last season, when he won six races, and he has been skeptical about his retirement plans, leaving some doubt about his future in the sport.

Brent Crews' performance in the O'Reilly Series has been impressive, with some viewing him as a better talent than Connor Zilisch, a notable prospect in NASCAR.

The NASCAR community is watching closely as Denny Hamlin's retirement plans unfold, with Joe Gibbs Racing preparing for the future with Brent Crews as a potential successor.