Denny Hamlin’s Future at Joe Gibbs Racing

One year after Joe Gibbs Racing tried but ultimately failed to negotiate a contract extension for two-time Cup Series cham pion Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin finds himself in a similar position but obviously hoping for a different outcome.

The three-time Daytona 500 winner has said he wants to finish out his Cup Series career at Joe Gibbs Racing, the place where it began in a full-time capacity in 2006, but Hamlin doing so is in all likelihood largely contingent on whether JGR will be able to re-sign FedEx –Hamlin’s primary sponsor for his entire Cup Series career. If FedEx doesn’t renew for 2024, Hamlin has said he could possibly compete on a part-time basis for 23XI Racing – the JGR-affiliated organization that he co-owns with NBA legend Mi chael Jordan.

Kyle Busch and Tyler Reddick all but swapped rides for 2023, with Busch moving into the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet that Reddick drove to three wins last year and Reddick taking over the No. 45 Toyota of 23XI Racing – an organization that has a close technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing, the organization Busch competed for and won 56 races and two Cup Series championships with over a 15-year run.

One of the more intriguing storylines of this year will be which of the two drivers fares best in their new digs, because this will provide a strong clue about who’s the better talent at this point in their respective careers. Ironically, Reddick’s new seat is the one that Kyle’s older brother, Kurt, filled for most of 2022.