Toyota GAZOO Racing – Denny Hamlin
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (October 25, 2025) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin was made available to the media on Saturday evening following qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway.
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 King’s Hawaiian Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
What was the car like for you in practice?
“I thought it was good. I thought the tire was good. The tire Goodyear brought here was a good choice and what they developed is a throwback to 15 years ago. You definitely have to manage the car. All the drivers are going to have to do their job tomorrow to make it last, so we will see how it goes.”
Will you have to start from the rear of the field tomorrow?
“I hope not. You got to know what the problem is before you can actually fix it. I don’t know that we know what the problem is.”
You spent all day Tuesday through Thursday in court. How much did that take out of you this week?
“I’m tired, but I didn’t stop working. I was just at the shop until nine 10 o’clock at night. I go from court to the shop, we don’t stop being prepared.”
Can you talk about the banner ceremonies you do at the Joe Gibbs Racing shop after each win? Does that importance fade over time or is it always special?
“From my standpoint, I run out of things to say. I try to get as creative as I can, each one is a little bit different. You don’t get to see the carpet walkers all the time on the second floor who are not touching the racecar. You have the competition side on the other side, and you got folks in the fabrication shop, you just don’t see those folks that often. It’s just an opportunity to see them face-to-face and thank them, otherwise the only other time we get to thank them is in victory lane or at the Christmas party at the end of the year. It’s our only shot. We try to do our best to show our appreciation because we know it’s our face time with them.”
How would you characterize the settlement talks this week?
“It was ok the first day, not great the second day and I don’t know, it didn’t end in any resolution unfortunately.”
What hurdles do you think remain to prevent this case from going to trial?
“Just days in the week, that’s it. Both sides probably feel strong about their case. You sat in the court and heard the arguments. I’ll let you come up with your own opinion, but I think one of us is on a suicide mission.”
Why is this year different and you are able to win your first championship?
“It’s week-to-week. I wish I could tell you that we are just faster, I don’t know. We have an equal chance as Corey Heim, who has dominated his season. He’s still got a 25% chance, and that’s what we are going to have next week. I’m optimistic about where we are running. These NASCAR races sometimes come down to things that are just unpredictable. You just hope that the things that are out of your control don’t inhibit you in any kind way. But I think on the racetrack if we do our jobs I think we will be one of the guys who will contend next week.”
What’s next after the 60-win milestone?
“I’m not really sure. I probably need to think about it in the offseason, truthfully. I’ll think about the races I have left. There are goals, I haven’t won in Indy, that’s one that comes top of mind that I would love to accomplish. I live to go fast every weekend and try to be everyone else. Everyone from here on out is going to be special and I’m going to cherish them.”
How big of a relief of winning at Vegas and not having to sweat being above the cutline here at Martinsville?
“It’s really sweet to come here and not have to worry about it at all. The way it’s shaping up I’ve seen today in practice, I don’t think any one of these guys are safe. I think it’s going to come down to the wire to see who wins this thing. We know that two are in, but I think everyone else is up for grabs. It’s going to be close.
How much of what you are willing to do comes into play when it comes down to the final laps of this race needing to get into the Championship 4?
“I think what is unique about the situation this year is there are four who know they have to win. In years past, we’ve had probably one or two who had to win and then had a lot of guys who just are iffy on points, depending on their day. I think this is so cut and dry that there are six who believe they have to win the race because more than likely that if a Kyle Larson or Christopher Bell runs second, I believe they are going to run second to one of those guys in the bottom four. So it’s a race against each other. There’s just a lot of different storylines and thoughts and you all are doing a really good job of telling that story.”
Is there anything you are working on here at Martinsville that will be able to help you next week at Phoenix?
“The list is too long. I can’t tip my hat on that, getting better is the short answer. As a driver, I have always thought that Phoenix has not been my strong suit even though it’s in my wheelhouse of shorter flat tracks. So half the focus has been on myself more so than trying to get everything I can out of the car.”
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