Dale Earnhardt Jr. reacts to Denny Hamlin addressing future NASCAR plans
Dale Earnhardt Jr. knows that Denny Hamlin will be stronger than ever when the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season begins in February. On Dale Jr. Download, Earnhardt reacted to Hamlin revealing that he will race next year.
“Denny has bucked the trend up to this point,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. “Denny is an anomaly in terms of what you traditionally see in drivers. He’s competitive, he’s focused, he’s still just as talented as ever; sharp.
“When you’re behind the wheel, it’s 130-40 degrees in the car. You’re 300 laps in, and you got to be able to make the right decision and the right move in the right moment. You got to be quick and precise. He’s still got it. In the toughest of moments behind the wheel of a racecar, Denny is as good or better than anybody.”
Denny Hamlin fell short of winning his first NASCAR Cup Series championship earlier this month. He was leading the three other drivers eligible to win the title during the final laps of the championship race in Phoenix, but a late caution caused by William Byron led to Kyle Larson taking the title home.
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Denny Hamlin could have retired if he had won the NASCAR championship
On Hamlin’s Actions Detrimental podcast, he opened up about his plans for the 2026 season. “Yeah, I mean, listen, I would have begged Joe to let me quit had I won that race,” Hamlin explained. “I would have. I would have, just because it would have been the perfect way for me to go out. But I, they’re not ready for that yet. They have to have time to work on my succession plan, and obviously, we set a date out now to at least, you know, come to when that is. We know what’s the lifeline left. But I would have certainly really, really asked him to let me end on that one had it gone well.”
Despite not winning the championship, Hamlin had a memorable 2025 season. The 45-year-old won six races and finished second in the Cup Series standings for the first time since 2010. In his final victory of the season, Hamlin reached 60 career Cup Series race victories, tying Kevin Harvick for the 10th most in NASCAR history.