INDIANAPOLIS — NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin signed a multiyear contract extension with Joe Gibbs Racing, the team said Friday.
Details of the contract were not announced, though Hamlin noted he didn’t want anything longer than two years..
The deal comes during the same week in which the driver of the No. 11 car won in Dover for his 58th career Cup victory. He ranks 11th all-time in career victories, a resume that includes three Daytona 500 wins, three Southern 500 wins and one Coca-Cola 600.
Hamlin will try to win his fourth crown jewel race in Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“Joe and everyone at JGR are family to me and have done so much for me over the last 20 years,” Hamlin said. “We’ve had a solid start to this season, and we have been able to welcome some great new partners this year, so there are a lot of exciting things happening with our team not only now, but also into the future.”
Hamlin ranks fourth in this season’s points. He has made all 706 of his Cup starts with JGR and is the longest-tenured driver in team history.
He also has 244 top-five finishes, 369 top-10s and has won the pole 44 times.
“I really appreciate Denny and everything he has meant to our organization,” Gibbs said. “It is just really special when you think about everything we’ve experienced over the past 20 years, from that first moment when J.D. (Gibbs) recognized his talent at a test session, until now. It is remarkable in any sport to compete at the level Denny has for this long and we are thrilled he has been able to spend his entire career with us.”
Hamlin and NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan also are co-owners of NASCAR’s 23XI Racing team, which is embroiled in a court battle to retain their charter in the series.
Last week, U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell denied a request from Front Row Motorsports and 23XI Racing for a temporary restraining order to prevent Cup officials from revoking their charters. Hamlin’s team fields three drivers — Bubba Wallace, Riley Herbst and Tyler Reddick.
