Joe Gibbs Racing team owner Joe Gibbs made headlines when he questioned the abilities of one of his drivers. Widely considered one of the greatest drivers never to win the Cup Series, Denny Hamlin would have to bear the brunt of his team owner’s words after the latter questioned his ability out on the track.
Speaking on the latest episode of the “Actions Detrimental Podcast,” the 44-year-old addressed his team owner’s statement while revealing his true desire.
Denny Hamlin Has His Say on Joe Gibbs Questioning His Ability
Joe Gibbs, the owner of JGR, stated that race results are a 50-50 split between a car’s quality and a driver’s abilities. With JGR’s Christopher Bell winning his second-consecutive race of the season, Hamlin came under increased fire after he failed to register a strong finish after starting the COTA race from P11.
Hamlin wishes he were a better road course driver than he is, and the same would have helped him register better results.
“I’m still committed to getting better, though. like I really want to. There was times throughout the race where I felt competitive like I was catching the top-10 cars, I could see them they were coming back to me I was running to them.
“And then there’s just other times when it’s like God dang man just hit a mark for once you know it’s a shame because I actually enjoy road course driving, I just wish I was better at it.”
Driving in his 20th full-time season, Hamlin has built a lasting legacy for himself. He has amassed 74 wins across all three top divisions of NASCAR. Fifty-four of these wins have come in the Cup Series, but a Cup Series championship continues to elude him.
His best finish of 2025 came in Atlanta, where he took home the P6 spot. He was in the running to take home a top-five finish but had to settle for a finish just outside.
Meanwhile, Hamlin also discussed his crash with Austin Dillon, which ended up wrecking the latter and putting him out of the race. The JGR driver revealed that he took full responsibility for the crash and even texted Dillon, seeking an apology.
The 44-year-old could not see the dirt on the track as he attempted to pass Dillon and had to hit the brakes. Once he did, the car spun out instantly, crashing into Dillon.
