It hasn’t been easy for Denny Hamlin quite recently. Ever since FedEx withdrew from the NASCAR world, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver seems to have struggled both on and off the track. “It made my career,” Hamlin said when asked about FedEx in 2024. 20 years is a long time, and as the sponsor left, fans started to see their enthusiasm fade. For many, the 2025 Cup Series campaign is a make-or-break year for the veteran racer, who, at the age of 44 is running out of opportunities to lift the Bill France Cup.

If recent results are anything to go by, the No. 11 Toyota driver needs to regain his confidence to get back to winning ways. But now, there is a dim light of hope dwindling. With a new sponsorship deal, Hamlin and Joe Gibbs Racing can breathe a sigh of relief. Could the new blue and white paint scheme prove to be a lucky charm at the race at Homestead-Miami Speedway?

Hamlin’s future at Joe Gibbs Racing is temporarily secure

After FedEx announced its withdrawal from NASCAR, Joe Gibbs Racing has been desperately scrambling to find another high-profile sponsor. The logistics giants’ departure from stock car racing was a major blow, as it marked the end of a 20-year-plus partnership with Denny Hamlin, the longest in the sport at the time. With a month having gone by in the ongoing Cup Series campaign, Progressive Insurance, worth almost $160 billion, has signed in as a primary sponsor.

When asked if having Progressive Insurance as a sponsor takes away the pressure off his shoulders, Denny Hamlin replied in the pre-race interview, “Yeah, I mean, it doesn’t take pressure off of me necessarily. More Joe Gibbs Racing obviously. When you have a loss in revenue there, things certainly, it can make things tighter on their side. But really, it’s good for them to kind of have an anchor partner and certainly for my fans’ sake, you know, they’re going to be able to identify with me week to week.” But, that name… it’s not unheard of, right?

The company is well known in the NASCAR world, and previously sponsored Ryan Newman for RFK Racing in 2020. However, the collaboration was only for two races. Their investment this time around is much more significant, as they will be sponsoring Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota for 18 races this year. The company’s blue and white paint scheme will make its debut at the 2025 Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where the Florida native will hope to break his 30-race winless streak.

Joe Gibbs welcomed Progressive Insurance’s involvement with open arms, going on to say, “Progressive is a premiere national brand and a leader in the insurance industry. We are thrilled to have them partner with Denny (Hamlin) and our No. 11 team.” Meanwhile, Sean Freeman, Progressive’s Business Leader of Direct Media said, “When the opportunity arose for us to be a part of the Joe Gibbs Racing family and support renowned Nascar driver Denny Hamlin, we were all in.”

In his first six races this year, Denny Hamlin has managed to finish top-six or higher only twice. A runner-up result at Phoenix Raceway was a promising one, but the 44-year-old failed to build up on that performance at the Pennzoil 400, ending the race 25th. Off the track, National Debt Relief was signed in as a temporary sponsor for Hamlin’s ride, and the vehicle has also featured Yahoo! and SportClips’ colors. It hasn’t been an easy start for the veteran racer, but with 31 races remaining, things could only get better, right?

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Denny Hamlin wants Homestead-Miami to return to the playoffs

With fire raging across Southern Florida, there were question marks about the triple-header at Homestead-Miami Speedway as smoke could be seen from the racetrack. Media personnel were forced to switch hotels and road closures meant fans were forced to take detours to make their way to the venue. However, the Truck and Xfinity Series races went on without a hitch, and the 2025 Straight Talk Wireless 400 is expected to continue in the same vein.

However, Denny Hamlin isn’t happy about the 1.5-mile track not featuring in the playoffs this year. Homestead-Miami was once a season-finale venue, and to see it relegated to the sixth race of the season isn’t going down well with the veteran racer. He said, “I would certainly like to see it play a bigger factor in our championship.” Elaborating on his point, he said, “Whether it’s in the Playoffs, just a part of the championship race or round, or whatever it might be, I’d like to see it be a part of that as like we just talked about, the driver makes a bigger difference at this track compared to the car.”

Widely known as a ‘driver’s track’, Homestead-Miami Speedway is somewhat of a favorite on the calendar. Featuring multiple racing lines, high tire wear, and plenty of overtaking opportunities makes for entertaining passes and thrilling finishes. Denny Hamlin has three wins at the venue, but the last one came in the 2020 season. Could this be the race the Joe Gibbs Racing driver gets back to winning ways? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!