Denny Hamlin's Bold Retirement Goal: Win His Final Race in All 3 NASCAR Series

Denny Hamlin doesn't do quiet exits. As the 45-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing veteran gears up for his planned retirement at the end of 2027, he's revealed a goal that's as ambitious as it is on-brand: he wants to win his final start in all three of NASCAR's national series — Trucks, Xfinity, and Cup.

The Plan, Explained Hamlin already has one box checked. His last Xfinity Series (formerly O'Reilly Auto Parts Series) start came in September 2023 at Darlington, where he passed Austin Hill in overtime for his sixth career win at the track — and his 18th in the series overall. He hasn't raced in Xfinity since, meaning that win stands as his final one in the division, by design or by accident, it's exactly how he wants to leave it.

Next up: the Truck Series. Hamlin has two career Truck wins, both at Martinsville, in 2011 and 2012. He's now planning a one-off Truck race before his Cup career wraps, with the goal of making that appearance his last — and winning it. Then comes the big one: he wants his final Cup Series start, whenever that comes in 2027, to end in victory lane too.

Why This Is Harder Than It Sounds Winning on command isn't something even the best drivers in the world can guarantee. A one-off Truck start means stepping into unfamiliar equipment, with less practice time and no margin for error against full-time Truck drivers who race that machine every week. Hamlin knows this better than anyone — he called the goal "the ultimate flex" precisely because it's so difficult to pull off.

But if anyone's positioned to attempt it, it's Hamlin. He's a three-time Daytona 500 winner, a perennial championship contender, and one of the most consistent closers in the Cup Series over the last decade. Setting a goal like this isn't about ego for its own sake — it's about Hamlin wanting to leave the sport exactly the way he came into it: competitive, calculated, and still capable of beating everyone on his way out the door.

What's Left on the Clock With retirement locked in for the end of 2027, Hamlin has roughly two full seasons to check off the Truck and Cup portions of his goal. Expect NASCAR fans to keep a close eye on his schedule for any hints of a Truck Series cameo, especially at a track where he's had success before, like Martinsville. As for Cup, his final race will carry extra weight no matter the result — but a win would turn a legendary career into a storybook ending.