Denny Hamlin’s Contract With Joe Gibbs Racing Could Change NASCAR’s Balance of Dominance

The Denny Hamlin contract saga has finally touched the light at the end of the tunnel. Announcing the extension of their relationship, Joe Gibbs Racing and Denny Hamlin put their neverending negotiations behind them. Icing on the cake for the 42-year-old driver is that he has been able to close a deal with JGR whilst retaining Toyota as the manufacturer for 23XI Racing, a team he owns.

Considering that it was his tricky spot as both owner and driver that created a fickle in signing contracts, being able to broker deals that didn’t cause friction would be a relief. Though all parties involved can be called a winner at the end of the day, it is Toyota that comes away with the biggest piece of the cake.

YouTube creator Eric Estepp took it to his dedicated NASCAR channel to analyze the outcomes of the deal, and spoke about what it meant for the Japanese car maker.

Denny Hamlin strengthens the position of Toyota on the NASCAR track

The economy behind the sport seldom makes sense, particularly for a car maker who is known for economy sedans more so than high-end performance machines. Nevertheless, Toyota has been doing it for a long time now, and it doesn’t look like the company plans to leave the race track anytime soon.

The opinion among some fans of stock car racing could be that Toyota does not have a car that’s as serious on the track as a Mustang or a Camaro. But the maker has got two decades of experience to say otherwise. Managing to stay relevant through all these years, the company will now be fielding a strong lineup of 8 cars in the NASCAR 2024 season.

With Denny Hamlin’s deal in the bag, they’ll be manufacturing cars for Joe Gibbs Racing, 23XI Racing, and the Legacy Motor Club. Each of these teams is dominant in its own way and it has got an impressive mix of experience and youth behind it. Commenting on the same, Eric Estepp said,

“This means that next season they will have eight full-time Nascar Cup Series entries. Toyota has been looking to add more quality cars, quality teams, quality drivers to their portfolio, and next year they’ve got it.”

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The Japanese maker will field one of the most powerful lineups in 2024

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Chevrolet and Ford have always been the dominant horses of NASCAR for a long time. With over 800 wins, Chevrolet is the most successful car maker in the sport. For every Toyota car on the track in 2023, Chevrolet was able to stack nearly 3 cars against it. Next season, this ratio will turn a little less extreme.

Despite the number game, the teams that Toyota will manufacture for hold a lot of potential. Legacy Motor Club, with the legend Jimmie Johnson at its helm, has found a new purpose and vision. Joe Gibbs Racing, with a strong succession plan, has two experienced drivers to race for it. And a case doesn’t even have to be made for 23XI Racing. With Denny and Michael Jordan as its co-owners, it is sure to flex its heavy muscles. 

But Toyota’s very own race to be the top manufacturer in NASCAR will not be an easy job. Chevrolet and Ford stand with prominent teams and a lot of numbers behind them. Racing amidst them the Japanese maker might find itself stretched to the maximum. As Eric put it,

“Toyota may be challenged at times next season with three key partner teams, eight different cars, eight different drivers. They might be spread a little thin from time to time but I think they’ll manage. They’ve been looking for numbers quality numbers for a long time and now they finally have them.”

With the contract talks ending, Denny Hamlin will be able to put himself behind the race at Kansas next weekend. Announcing the extension, the driver said, “I’m excited to finally announce this so we can put all our focus on chasing the championship.”  After the debacle at Darlington, he must surely be left wanting for a win. What Toyota and Denny Hamlin can achieve together this year will be a preview of what is to come in 2024. 

Read More: Despite Dropping the Ball at Darlington, Unfazed Denny Hamlin Declares – “Still a Winner”