Denny Hamlin makes feelings clear on his 'years' long current winless streak in NASCAR

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin is eager to return to victory lane this season, as he feels it's been "an eternity" since his last win. His win drought has also coincided with JGR's winless streak in the second half of the 2024 Cup Series season.

Entering the 2025 season, the #11 JGR driver is on a 25-race winless streak, with his last victory coming at Dover Motor Speedway. Hamlin also claimed wins at Bristol and Richmond earlier in the season. Christopher Bell secured JGR's most recent victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in June 2024.

Hamlin reflected on the win drought, remarking that "years" have passed since his last victory. He noted that JGR had a strong start to the 2024 season with the new Toyota Camry XSE, dominating the short tracks. However, he acknowledged that the team lost momentum midway through the season. While they improved their consistency in the playoffs, he insists they lacked the raw speed needed to secure wins.

"No, it's been an eternity. It feels like years. I mean we started the year off so strong, so fast. The speed kind of tapered off as the year went on and we got a little bit more consistent with our finishes once the playoffs started but just didn't have the raw speed that we had early in the season," he told FOX's Bob Pockrass on pre-season Media Day.

Hamlin struggled at the start of his 2024 playoff campaign but has kicked off the 2025 season on a high note, winning his heat race at Bowman Gray Stadium and securing a third-place finish in the Clash.

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Denny Hamlin "moving on" after splitting with crew chief Chris Gabehart

After a disappointing end to the 2024 campaign, Joe Gibbs Racing made major changes to its technical hierarchy. It involved Denny Hamlin splitting with his crew chief Chris Gabehart, who transitioned into the role of Competition Director, overseeing all the teams.

Hamlin wasn’t anticipating such major changes and revealed that he hadn’t had the chance to discuss the situation with Gabehart during the off-season. However, he remains focused on building chemistry with his new crew chief, Chris Gayle, as they prepare for the 2025 season.

"Those conversations will happen and they haven't happened yet. We'll have an opportunity to sit down and discuss, where each other's heads we're at, during the time and we are just trying to move on and get 2025 going. I'm focused on so much on getting in with Chris Gayle and getting our process down and figuring out how we're gonna approach this season." he told Pockrass. [from 0:32]

The 44-year-old JGR driver will continue his quest for his maiden championship with a new crew chief this season, all while managing his team 23XI Racing, and the ongoing lawsuit.