Denny Hamlin is currently not at his best following a tumultuous winter, and he may remain in this state until the conclusion of the 2026 season.
The driver is grappling with not only the tragic passing of his father in a house fire that also left his mother hospitalized, but he has also re-injured his surgically repaired right shoulder. This setback occurred during a fall while he was sorting through the debris of the home he had bought for his parents.
The accident took place so late in the off-season that Hamlin was unable to arrange for surgery in time to return to his Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 car. He will have to manage this injury until the off-season officially begins in November.
Compounding his difficulties is the aftermath of a disappointing loss in the NASCAR Cup Series championship race in Phoenix, where he was leading until a late caution and pit stop allowed Kyle Larson to claim the title.
Additionally, Hamlin was involved in an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR, representing the 23XI Racing team he co-owns with Michael Jordan, which concluded in a settlement after just nine days in court.
It has certainly been a challenging period for him.
“The easy thing to say is poor me, but it’s like, I still have a fantastic life and a great family,” Hamlin expressed during a press briefing before the Cookout Clash. “A lot of people go through tragedies.”
“While what happened to my family in the off-season was highly publicized, there are probably tons of those stories of crew members that it happened in their family and no one really knows about it,” he added. “So everyone had to go through tough moments and I think those are kind of building moments for your character, how you respond to it.”
Upcoming Surgery and Current Challenges
Hamlin has indicated that he plans to schedule his surgery for the week following the end of the 2026 season, meaning he will need to manage his shoulder issue through November. While the injury isn’t as severe as it was at the end of the 2023 season, it still requires careful handling.
“It’s just a matter of making sure I’m doing everything right outside of the car,” Hamlin remarked. “I have to keep the range good and keep the strength good to get to that November date. I’m going to have to limit some of the physical things I enjoy doing because I have to keep priorities.”
He acknowledged that he will miss out on some enjoyable activities due to the risk of aggravating the injury. “The tear, it’s kind of just hanging on. It’s torn but it has some parts and pieces hanging on that I need to stay intact for the full year,” he explained.
A Defining Season Ahead
According to Hamlin, this season could either turn out to be remarkable or exceptionally difficult. “I don’t think there is much of a middle road there,” he stated. “It’s going to go really one way or the other and it’s up to me decide which turn I take.”
He emphasized that his current focus is to stay on track and ensure he achieves his goals in the remaining years of his career.
With 60 wins in 721 starts at the top level, Hamlin is known for his rigorous fitness regimen and meticulous race preparation. However, the question arises when he will be fully able to concentrate given the recent events, to which he admits he does not have a clear answer.
“It’s TBD,” Hamlin noted. “I wish I could predict the future and tell you, but I just don’t know. I certainly give my team the preparation they deserve as the leader of the team.”
“There is no way I could actually show up this weekend and face them and not be prepared,” he continued. “So, I’ve done as much as I feel like I can to be prepared, given the amount of time I’ve got and everything that’s been going on.”
He reassured his team that once he is behind the wheel, they can trust that he will provide them with the best chance to win. “That is ultimately my job, to get them the results they have been preparing for all season and reap the benefits of their hard work,” he concluded.
