Denny Hamlin has made it public that patience is wearing thin at 23XI Racing as the team heads into the […]
Denny Hamlin has made it public that patience is wearing thin at 23XI Racing as the team heads into the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. The co-owner publicly made it clear in no uncertain terms that he expects his drivers to bring home more wins and put themselves at the front of the field more often.
Talking to the press at Bowman Gray Stadium before the Cook Out Clash got underway, Hamlin didn’t sugarcoat the team’s current situation. and said what needed to be said: the team hasn’t done enough, and speed just isn’t good enough on its own. You have to be able to close out the races on a Sunday afternoon. “We expect our cars to run, and certainly the more experienced guys. And Tyler and Bubba, you know, they need to be competing for race wins more often as well,” Denny Hamlin said.
This comes on the back of a 2025 season for the team in which their drivers had some real standouts. Bubba Wallace managed to pick up a big win at the Brickyard 400 and put together some very strong runs. But ultimately came up short of the deep run in the playoffs. Tyler Reddick meanwhile struggled to get on the board at all after making it to the Championship 4 the year before. Now the team, and co-owners Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan, are looking for a much more serious push for Victory Lane in 2026.
Pressure also on Riley Herbst after difficult rookie year
Denna Hamlin’s warning went beyond his veteran drivers. He also had some harsh words for Riley Herbst and the #35 car, which had a pretty dismal first full season in Cup racing and failed to even record a top-10 finish in 2025.
“Well, we got to see better performance for sure. I think that certainly you know where the 35 was running last year was just not up to what we had expected. But we have signed a multi-year agreement with Riley because we want to see where it goes in the second year. And certainly I want to see, you know, gains in performance, it needs to be challenging inside the you know top 10, top 15,” Denny Hamlin said.
Hamlin reiterated that at 23XI Racing they expect all their cars to be right up front, period. Especially now as they’re expanding and throwing a lot of money at the problem to try and make it happen. It’s obvious now that the whole team needs to step up after a season where things just kept getting worse and winning has gotten a whole lot tougher.
Herbst, who signed a multi-year deal with the team, is entering a bit of a make-or-break second season after a rookie campaign that ended outside the top 30 in points. 23XI leadership has framed 2026 as an important development year for the young driver, but also one where measurable progress is required.
Deny Hamlin signaled a more direct tone from 23XI’s leadership as the new season begins. With more investment, a bunch of new sponsors and a more well-rounded team, the expectations inside the organization are crystal clear: win more races, make a push for the playoffs and have every single one of their cars has to be competitive on a weekly basis.
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