No. 11 driver Denny Hamlin has only driven for one team, Joe Gibbs Racing since making his cup debut in 2005.
Hamlin may not have won the championship for JGR but he is one of their most successful drivers, alongside Kyle Busch. In the 18 seasons, he has been with the team, Hamlin won 48 Cup races, including winning the Daytona 500 three times.
Nonetheless, that doesn’t always guarantee the driver a place in the team, as we saw with Busch in the 2022 season. After his long-time sponsor M&M left the team, Busch found it hard to keep his place in the No. 18 car. Eventually, it led to Busch leaving JGR for Richard Childress Racing.
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Having recently lost one of the best drivers in their history, JGR might end up losing another one in the 2023 season in a similar circumstance. FedEx, the primary sponsor for Denny Hamlin might be forced to cut ties with Hamlin as they are looking for aggressive cost-cutting measures in light of decreasing earnings.
"FedEx said Tuesday that its quarterly earnings and sales fell from a year ago and warned of ongoing weakened demand, but said its 'aggressive' cost-cutting measures were softening the blow." – @CNBC https://t.co/hsej0OotIz
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) December 20, 2022
And, coincidentally, Hamlin’s contract with FedEx only runs until the end of the 2023 season.
As for Hamlin, he wants to retire at JGR and that includes even going part-time to stay at the team. Speaking in the Dale Jr. Download Podcast
“I think I would like to retire at Gibbs with FedEx because it’s so unique to have a sponsor that has been part of the sport as long as they have and backed me as long as they have. There’s just no way I could leave them,” Hamlin said.
“Maybe at that point, I just run one or two races. I would like to retire at Gibbs with FedEx. But if things change, then things change, and you’ve got to reevaluate.”
The time to reevaluate might come soon for Hamlin if FexEx doesn’t renew the sponsorship with the No. 11 car. What’s good for Hamlin is that he already owns a team, 23XI Racing, in the Cup Series that would allow him to continue driving.