Denny Hamlin, one of NASCAR’s most consistent and successful drivers, recently spoke out about reports suggesting that his longtime sponsor, FedEx, might be ending their partnership with his team, Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR).
FedEx, a $65 billion giant, has been a cornerstone sponsor for Hamlin since his early days in the Xfinity Series. Their investment allowed him to make the leap to the Cup Series and ultimately become one of NASCAR's elite drivers. Despite FedEx's recent announcements to cut expenditures, indicating a potential end to their sponsorship at JGR, Hamlin remains profoundly appreciative of the relationship. He explained to the media:
“It’s been a fantastic partnership that we’ve had nearly 20 years. They’re the ones that really took a risk on me when I was just running the Xfinity Series about fifth to eighth every week…that risk paid off for many many years and couldn’t be happier to be aligned with FedEx and certainly I got to do lot of great things off the track as well… It’s made my career, it made a lot easier being aligned with someone for that long and we’re gonna continue to represent on and off the racetrack for the time to come.”
The possibility of FedEx pulling back mirrors other recent sponsorship exits in NASCAR, such as Hooter's deal with Hendrick Motorsports coming to an end earlier this year due to financial concerns.
Besides the looming sponsorship changes, Hamlin’s focus remains sharply on the track. Kansas Speedway, although a track where he has previously been very successful, ending up being a frustrating race for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver. Speaking to the media after the race, Hamlin claimed it was one of the worst days for his team, stating:
"They know that today was one of their worst days ever. They'll just go work to clean it up.
"I don't know, I've had some pretty bad days, but just yeah, horrible day.
"Came out 15th, 20th, then we had a loose wheel. Just terrible. Terrible day."
Denny Hamlin said he had a car to win the race but the issues on pit road kept him from challenging. He obviously was frustrated after the eighth-place finish: pic.twitter.com/e6ka70w1Dq
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) September 29, 2024
He added:
"We should have won the race. We had the fastest car, but every time we get to the top three the caution comes out and we restart 15th, 20th. Can't show how fast your car is when you're back of the pack.
"All you can do is just keep making positions back up to the front over and over and over and eventually you just run out of laps and someone else wins.
"I'm not in it mentally, I can tell you that. There's a lot of wires crossed and bolts loose at the moment. But what can you do? I'll just do the best I can to drive the car and do my part."
