Dale Earnhardt Jr. Delivers Brutal Reality Check for Denny Hamlin
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has revealed a startling statistic about NASCAR drivers with the most wins after 700 race starts. While several renowned names have more than five wins to their names, Denny Hamlin's single win comes as a brutal reality check for many.
Aged 44, and with 57 race wins, Hamlin has yet to win a NASCAR championship. However, considering the approximate number of years he might continue racing, Dale Jr. estimated how many races Hamlin could realistically win before retiring.
Though Hamlin recently secured his third victory of the season at Michigan last weekend, suggesting his top form, Dale Jr. offered a different perspective with the stats he found on social media. Revealing on his Dale Jr. Download podcast, he said:
Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Yahoo! Toyota, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway on June 08, 2025 in Brooklyn, Michigan.
Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Yahoo! Toyota, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway on June 08, 2025 in Brooklyn, Michigan."I saw on social media that I was like, damn, that's a cool stat. After 700 starts, Jeff Gordon won six races. After 700 starts, Harvick won seven. Those are big names. Take Richard Petty off the list because he won 22 after 700 starts, but he was 38 or 39 when he made his 700 starts. So hell, you know, take him off the list.
"At the top of this list—most wins after 700 starts—it's Harvick with seven, Jeff Gordon with six, and then it's like threes and twos and ones. Denny just won, so he's got one after 700.
"How many more does he win before that race at Michigan? I thought the over/under was six. The line was six wins. Like, could you imagine going into Michigan thinking Denny Hamlin's going to win only six races the rest of his life at the Cup level?
"That's crazy. But that's what the odds would say. Now, he's maybe moved that line to maybe eight or nine wins—maybe 10 wins, I guess, since he won this weekend. How many years do you think he races to win?"
The point prompted Dale Jr. to admit that Hamlin might be having a NASCAR retirement plan in mind, but hinted that it won't be easy taking the big step. He added:
"The guy may be looking at two years, but if he still wins three races, is he really going to retire if he's still winning? You don't think he'll be lured to go drive for his own team for a little while?
"I think he has a plan in his mind when he thinks he's going to retire, but I think that he's going to find out when he gets to that doorstep, it's going to be harder to do than he thinks."
Hamlin admitted back in April that he has a retirement plan on his mind, but didn't reveal the timeline. However, he confirmed that he will race for his own team, 23XI Racing, and retire from NASCAR in a phased manner.
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