"I have long-term goals": When Denny Hamlin opened up about choosing driver ambition over ownership

Two years back, Denny Hamlin shared that his main goal was to win a Cup championship for the No. 11 team. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver said that he narrowed his focus to driving and blocked out other tasks during the playoffs.

Hamlin, who co-owns 23XI Racing with NBA star Michael Jordan, ended the year with a settlement in their antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR. However, he had to manage dual roles on and off the track in the 2025 NASCAR Cup season and still pushed himself to reach the Championship 4. He dominated the season finale at Phoenix Raceway, leading a record number of laps.

Hamlin did not let ownership duties distract him and made that choice clear in a 2023 episode of SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

"I find a way to compartmentalize it. And when I focus on racing and I give myself proper time through the week to put in all the work I need to, it doesn't leave me any time for anything else," Denny Hamlin said.

The 46-year-old added that his priority at that time was his driving goals.

"I am definitely shifting my resources and time more into the driving aspect now, because I have goals. I have long-term goals. I want my team to win a championship, but the closest goal to me right now that is achievable is for me to win a cup championship for myself. So that's what I need to focus on," he added.

Hamlin has always put his Joe Gibbs Racing team first on race day. During the playoff Cup race at Kansas Speedway, he led 159 laps and looked set for a big win. And on the final lap, he ran right behind Bubba Wallace and tried to make a move for the lead. However, he got too close, and his No. 11 Toyota nudged Wallace's No. 23 car into the wall, which let Chase Elliott pass them for the victory.

However, according to reports, Hamlin might have tried to leave 23XI ownership altogether that year.

Denny Hamlin was in talks to sell his share of 23XI in 2023

Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan founded 23XI Racing in 2020, and the team debuted in 2021. It got its first win that season when Bubba Wallace won at Talladega and signed with Tyler Reddick starting in 2023.

According to Sports Business Journal's Adam Stern, Hamlin, who owns a 40% share in the team, had asked majority owner Jordan to find a buyer for his stake in 2023. The discussion happened during internal disagreements, and Hamlin replied to the court that the request was part of a disagreement about the team's direction, not a final decision.

Meanwhile, Denny Hamlin's championship goal was crushed in a painful near miss when Kyle Larson claimed the 2025 NASCAR Cup title in a dramatic finish this November.

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Edited by Hitesh Nigam