RICHMOND, VIRGINIA - MARCH 30: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Mavis Tires & Brakes Toyota, (L) and Tyler Reddick, driver of the #45 SiriusXM Toyota, walk the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway on March 30, 2024 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA - MARCH 30: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Mavis Tires & Brakes Toyota, (L) and Tyler Reddick, driver of the #45 SiriusXM Toyota, walk the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway on March 30, 2024 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Denny Hamlin wants to drive for 23XI…..at some point, but expects to finish full-time career at Joe Gibbs Racing

Denny Hamlin is in a very distinct situation among drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series.

While the career-long member of Joe Gibbs Racing continues to compete as a driver for that team, he’s also part-owner of 23XI Racing along with NBA legend Michael Jordan.

On the latest edition of “Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour,” Hamlin discussed his perspective on what it would take for him to drive for 23XI Racing.

“I think it would take a few years because you’ve got to have a pit crew, too. The pit crew is such a big part of the results nowadays,” Hamlin said. “The only advantage to that now, though, is that the cars are so similar. I’m very confident in the speed of the cars. The 23XI is just as fast as Joe Gibbs Racing is, but there’s so many other elements that play into the result that would take a few years to get. You got to have the right person on the top of the pit box. You got to have the right engineers. You’d have to put that team together, and it certainly would take a few years.

“There’s a few hesitations I have. One is that I want to end my career with Joe Gibbs Racing because I want to be loyal to the person that gave me my start, but yes, there is a part of me that wants to drive for 23XI, absolutely. I think, without doubt, I’ll say that I’ll certainly be racing at 23XI in at least a race at some point in my career.”

— Fox Sports —