“I’m Not Ready for This” – Joe Gibbs Gave Denny Hamlin a 6-Point-Ultimatum That Eventually Led Him to “Seal the Deal” for the #11 Car

After spending 18 years at Joe Gibbs Racing, it’s not a surprise that Denny Hamlin is a mainstay in the team. Luckily, he also got a lot of help with having only one major sponsor on his car, FedEx, which made the money side for Mr. Gibbs easier too. But one thing came to light on the sponsor’s 50th anniversary, and that is the fact that Denny was hired based on an ultimatum.

What’s more surprising is that Hamlin managed to show his worth in that minimal, 6-point ultimatum.

Denny Hamlin made his big cup series debut back in 2005, when he only got 6 races at the end of the season. And that’s all he had to prove himself. On top of that, he was put in the #11 car when it was sitting pretty far down in the standings, tasking Hamlin with bringing the team back up on his feet. Otherwise, they will have to miss races.

Hamlin went back to his roots in an interview with NASCAR Race Hub. “Joe came to me and says, okay. You’ve got your shot, you got your seven races, but we’re only six points in good in the top 35. And if we get kicked out, we’re missing races. I’m like, ‘oh, boy, I’m not ready for this.'” 

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Of course, that threw shivers down a young Hamlin’s spine, forcing him to push more than he would have preferred to in his first time in a Cup car. But did they manage to turn things around? Well, judging by his position in Joe Gibbs Racing, it sure seems like they did.

Denny Hamlin managed to prove himself to Joe Gibbs

Hamlin went on to take three whole Daytona 500 wins, coupled with 48 wins in the #11 car. So clearly, Gibbs’ decision turned out to work really well for him. But what’s crazy is the fact that he got some of the best finishes that the team had all year in just a matter of six races. He said, “Luckily we were able to battle and get actually some top ten, some of the best finishes that car had all year.”

But there was one more thing that really sealed the deal for Denny as he revealed, “and certainly, when I got the pole six races in, I think that‘s gonna seal the deal for you.”

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Hamlin has really made a legacy over the course of his career in Joe Gibbs Racing. But the fact that he proved himself back in 2005, when he first stepped in the car, is bound to leave some jaws dropped.