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DENNY HAMLIN

Birth Date: November 18, 1980 Hometown: Chesterfield, VA
Team: No. 11 Toyota Camry / Joe Gibbs Racing

Although he qualified for the NASCAR Playoffs in 2018, Denny Hamlin
knew a lot of things had to happen with his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
2018 featured drivers Like winning a single race. FOLLOW ONLINE
Camry before he’d be in position to contend for a championship.

Hamlin’s streak of winning at least one race a year since he became a
fulltime driver ended in 2018. It broke a run that spanned 12 years, and
along with Jimmie Johnson’s winless draught, became one of the curious
footnotes of the season. @DENNYHAMLIN @DennyHamlin
“We tried as hard as we could,” Hamlin said. “We definitely ran better the
last half of the season and I’m happy about that. We’re leading laps, kind of DennyHamlin.com
being up there in the stages a little bit better toward the end. It’s something
that’s at least positive for next year.” But as a tandem, they finished sixth, sixth and 11th in the final
point standings.
Hamlin was eliminated from the playoffs after the first round, but he got a
glimpse of what could be ahead with six finishes of 14th or better in the Chris Gabehardt, who won nine races in the last three years with JGR’s
final seven races. While whose hardly are championship caliber numbers, No. 19 Toyota in the Xfinity Series is the new crew chief, while and Eric
it marked a dramatic improvement of the first 30 races where he finished Phillips, who was part of eight wins with JGR’s No. 18 Xfinity car is the new
32nd or worse four times following crashes. car chief.
From the start, Hamlin had a different focus than other drivers in the Along with the noted improvements in the final six races in 2018 and a fresh
championship. “I’m not worried about the playoffs,” he said. “I’m just worried approach for this new season, Hamlin is convinced his losing streak – which
about running better.” will start the year at 47 races – will end quickly.

Hamlin clearly needed to shake things up ahead of 2019, and that certainly “I was kind of excited to see how we ran, really, the last five to six races of
happened – both by design and heartbreaking surprise. the season,” he said. “That kind of [gives] me a little bit of motivation and
ready to get going for 2019, obviously with some changes with our team
Gone is the man who signed him at Joe Gibbs Racing in 2004, team co- and really the entire changes when it comes to the whole rules package and
founder J.D. Gibbs. He died Jan. 11 of complications of a degenerative things like that. I’m ready to go. This was one of the few offseasons I wish
neurological disease. The son of team owner and Hall of Fame football was a little bit shorter versus longer. “So, I’m ready to get going.”
coach Joe Gibbs took a personal interest in Hamlin’s career, so the driver is
even more committed to honoring his friend with a dramatic turnaround. What magnifies Hamlin’s struggles was the success of other JGR teams.
Kyle Busch won eight races and finished fourth in points, while Martin Truex
Gibbs discovered Hamlin when he was racing at local short tracks around Jr., who worked at JGR satellite team at Furniture Row Racing, had four
his home at Chesterfield, Va. When he told his father he wanted to sign the wins and was the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series runner-up. Also,
young driver, Joe Gibbs reportedly said, “Don’t screw it up.” first-year JGR driver Erik Jones won during the summer race at Daytona.

Hamlin used Twitter to pay his respects, saying: “His car. His number. His Hamlin was in position to win late in the season at Martinsville – a track
signature above my door. I will always be grateful for what His family did for where he’s won five of his 31 career victories, but he backed off to give
mine and the opportunity he gave me 14 years ago. Now more than ever Busch more room to chase a spot in the Championship 4. Hamlin eventually
#doitforJD.” wound up second.

Also gone is crew chief Mike Wheeler. After working on Hamlin’s crew for all “Once we got knocked out of the playoffs, it was obviously the No. 1 priority
14 of his full-time seasons, including last three as his crew chief, Wheeler within our race team is to try to get a win,” Hamlin said. “I sat behind Kyle for
was moved over to JGR’s satellite team, Leavine Family Racing with driver way too long at Martinsville, or else I would have won that race, and so you
Matt DiBenedetto. second-guess yourself, and you think that -- being a good teammate. We
have a lot of people that work really hard on this car to not give 100 percent,
The highlight of their three-year run was a victory at the 2016 Daytona 500. and that’s something that we have to do.”

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