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Denny Hamlin had one of the strongest starts to the season in 2024, winning the Clash at the Coliseum and three of the first 11 points races.
While he still had strong results after that, Hamlin did not win again the rest of the season and was eliminated after the third round for the third year in a row.
The 44-year-old Hamlin has 54 career Cup wins. He’ll go into the new season with a new crew chief, a change that he admitted “shocked” him.
CREW CHIEF: Chris Gabehart
TEAM: Joe Gibbs Racing
POINTS: 8th
WINS: 3 (Bristol I, Richmond I, Dover).
LAPS LED: 943
TOP 5s: 12
TOP 10s: 18
STARTS FROM POLE: 4 (Phoenix I, Nashville, Richmond II, Michigan)
WHAT WENT RIGHT: Won the Clash at the Coliseum and three points races. The three points wins are tied for the most he’s had in the past four seasons. Hamlin also had three runner-up results this year. The 2024 season marked the fifth time in the last six years that Hamlin has led at least 900 laps in a year.
WHAT WENT WRONG: After winning three of the first 11 races of the season, Hamlin did not win again. Had six finishes of 30th or worse. Led only 26 laps in the playoffs.
DENNY HAMLIN SAID: “Every relationship has an opportunity to thrive. Certainly, I felt like I had a good one with (Chris) Gabehart and we had some good success. I’ve won with all the crew chiefs that I’ve ever been with. I would suspect that to be the same. … I think it’s going to be a welcome change for (Chris Gayle) and welcome change for me to try to go out there and build a new relationship and, obviously, win a lot of races.”
WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2025: Denny Hamlin goes into the season with a new crew chief. Chris Gabehart was moved to director of competition for Joe Gibbs Racing, which did not win a race in the last 18 Cup events of the season. Chris Gayle is Hamlin’s new crew chief after having been in that role with teammate Ty Gibbs. The 44-year-old Hamlin has few chances remaining to win that elusive Cup title.