“It’s made me feel as I’ve accomplished what I wanted to”: Denny Hamlin reveals how Carl Edwards helped him on the ‘bigger picture’

Denny Hamlin returned to his Actions Detrimental podcast nearly two weeks after the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series finale, explaining how he processed the most painful title loss of his career. The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran credited former teammate Carl Edwards for helping him see the “bigger picture.”

The 2025 finale was set up perfectly for Hamlin. He controlled the race, won Stage 2, and even survived a mid-race tire failure because the caution timing worked in his favor. He cleared his rivals late and appeared to be moments away from his long-awaited first crown. And then William Byron blew a tire behind him, and the field was forced into overtime. Kyle Larson took two tires while Hamlin took four, and the restart decided everything.

Larson restarted ahead and held onto the championship position, while Hamlin was unable to recover, an ending many fans immediately compared to Carl Edwards’ 2016 title collapse at Homestead. On the podcast, Hamlin addressed a wave of online claims suggesting that he had phoned Edwards after the race. He clarified that the story had been twisted and explained why their conversations mattered.

“I had some good conversations with him (Carl Edwards) and where I feel like he has helped me here lately... would be understanding the bigger picture of racing is just a very small part of your life and you’re going to find a lot of gratification outside of that,” he said. “Every time he talks now, I’m very tuned in to what he says, because I respect him so much.” (31:08 onwards)

Denny Hamlin admitted that Carl Edwards’ perspective landed hard in the days after Phoenix.

“I admire him so much. He said some very kind words to me after the race, and it’s made me feel as though I’ve accomplished what I wanted to accomplish in the sport. Everything else from here on is icing on the cake.”

Both men share a history of bitter championship losses. Carl Edwards’ 2016 title run ended with a late restart crash that triggered a caution, which he later said contributed to his decision to retire abruptly in early 2017.

For Denny Hamlin, the 2025 Phoenix race marked another entry to a long list of near misses. He has now reached the Championship 4 five times without winning and has finished runner-up twice, including his gut-wrenching loss to Jimmie Johnson in 2010. Though he is signed to compete through 2027, Hamlin admitted earlier this year that he would have considered retirement had he sealed the 2025 title.

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Carl Edwards reflects on wishing he had connected more with Denny Hamlin: "I wish I could've picked Denny’s brain"

Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards during the 2016 Coke Zero 400. Source: Getty

Carl Edwards’ bond with Denny Hamlin goes back to their time as Joe Gibbs Racing teammates. Edwards joined JGR in 2015 from RFK Racing, spent two seasons with the team, and crossed paths with Hamlin often before stepping away in 2017.

On the Dale Jr. Download earlier this year, Edwards shared that he regretted not building a deeper relationship with the longtime JGR driver.

“I’d say Denny,” Edwards said. “Denny’s so good—it blew my mind things he could do in the car. I always wanted to talk to Denny more, to understand how he thought. I could never get Denny to… and I probably didn’t try enough. But I wanted to know what goes through his mind... He’s unbelievable at Martinsville, superspeedways, road courses, mile-and-a-halfs. Every skill set. And he was always getting better... I wish I could have picked Denny’s brain more.” (41:00 onwards)

Two drivers separated by circumstance, one denied a title in 2016, the other in 2025, now find common ground in what the sport gave them and what it took away. For Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards’ guidance arrived at the moment he needed it most.

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Edited by Hitesh Nigam