Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin was made available to the media on Saturday prior to the NASCAR Cup Series race from Darlington Raceway.
Has the start of the season impacted you possibly wanting to go past 2027?
“I’m not really sure. I think that I’ve given Gibbs enough of a heads up that they’re working on the plans for beyond. So as long as those all go as planned, I would, I still assume that the end of ‘27 is it. I just don’t want to go to my last half of the year or year just like, can’t wait to get out. If I could end on notes like we have like seasons like this one is starting, then that would be a successful last year for me.”
Do you want to have a farewell tour?
“No, no, I’m good on that.”
Is this going to be your last contract?
“Well, I mean, things always change. You just never know, but it’s what I would like, but again, I don’t know all the moving parts and pieces beyond what happens between now and bout 20 months from now. So, you just don’t know, but I thought that was a good enough timeline and enough heads up that, that they could make plans.”
How did you get to the thought where you thought 67 would be potentially the final win total?
“Just averages over the years. If you average the last 10 years or something like that, it’s about 3.5 wins a year. That puts me right around that number. That’s assuming that I don’t wake up in 2027 and have a declining skill set. That’s why it’s still a goal. It’s not the pie in the sky, but it’s still going to take some work to do.”
— Toyota Racing —