It’s just wild how the NASCAR 2024 season went by in the blink of an eye. While Joey Logano and Team Penske continued their dominant run with a title, Denny Hamlin, for some reason, was always part of the big picture. The #11 JGR team had a somewhat good season. Yet, it wasn’t entirely a tremendous success, with Hamlin failing to reach the Championship 4 for the third consecutive year.

Well, Hamlin’s season wasn’t as simple as always; he hit the gas running with early wins at short oval tracks at Bristol and Richmond. He also conquered the monster mile with the playoff spot in the bag. But his winning run was limited to the first half of the season. An engine penalty, the lawsuit drama, and a dip in on-track performance all summed up this year. But, regardless of how the season turned out, Denny Hamlin made some cool memories that he’s now sharing with his fans.

Denny Hamlin shares an emotional video capturing the best bits of 2024

The short video highlighted the best moments of the 2024 season, featuring all his victorious celebrations with the #11 team, fan moments, and much more. It also showed the unfiltered side of the driver enjoying his time in the casino and spending time with his family. The big highlight was indeed Tyler Reddick and the #45 team winning the regular season championship. It brought back memories that would leave any ardent Hamlin fan teary-eyed.

But Denny Hamlin, being himself, couldn’t help but make this moment even more wholesome with this caption: “Now taking submissions for 2025’s catchphrase.” Those who’ve been following the driver for the past few years would know he wound up rival fans and his critics with the infamous one-liner, “I beat your favorite driver.” And it looks like he requires a new phrase to fuel his 2025 campaign.

Fans soon started to share their recommendations: “STI11 IN IT,” “It’s Denny time BABY!!!,” and “I beat the system.” were some of the cool ones. However, Hamlin’s key partner and global beverage giant, Coca-Cola, couldn’t get over the video. “Who’s cutting onions?” was the reply the $267 billion company wrote in the comments section.

Speaking of sponsors, Denny Hamlin and the #11 are in a sticky position after the departure of long-time anchor sponsor FedEx. Joe Gibbs Racing is probably looking to fill the void left by FedEx to ensure Hamlin keeps competing in the #11 car. But, given how Kyle Busch’s time at JGR ended with M&M’s NASCAR exit, it certainly is a precarious position for Hamlin; especially with no official announcement on new partners for the #11 team.

Not just the sponsor, the #11 is getting a major overhaul, with Chris Gabehart being replaced by Chris Gayle as the team’s new crew chief.

More challenges ahead for Hamlin

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Gabehart and Hamlin’s pairing was one of the best in the modern era of NASCAR Cup Series racing. However, a surprise announcement by JGR has led to the two parting ways. Gabehart was promoted to the competition director role, and Chris Gayle came in as his replacement. Gayle served as the crew chief for Ty Gibbs and the No. 54 team over the last two seasons.

Notably, Gayle will need to step up his game to fill the void left by Chris Gabehart. He’s contributed to 22 race wins alongside Hamlin over the last six seasons, and they made it to the Championship 4 three times. But, since 2021, the #11 team hasn’t crossed the last hurdle. This might be why Joe Gibbs decided to stir the pot and change the team dynamics.

With Hamlin still searching for his first-ever championship, perhaps it was time to make some big changes to make that happen. Gayle has two Cup Series wins under his belt as a crew chief for Erik Jones before moving with Ty Gibbs. At the Xfinity Series level, he has 37 victories and even led Ty Gibbs to a championship win in 2022.

So, he surely has the knack for cracking the winning formula, and that is exactly what the #11 team hopes for on whether he delivers in 2025.