Former Hendrick Insider Thinks Denny Hamlin’s Emotional Health Could Be the Biggest Hindrance to 2025-Like Season

Denny Hamlin exited last season excruciatingly close to claiming his maiden NASCAR Cup title, but watched it slip away in the closing laps at Phoenix. That moment, painful on its own, proved to be the opening phase of a far heavier stretch for the JGR veteran.

After the championship defeat, Hamlin faced a loss that carried no reset button. A fire at his parents’ home caused his father, Dennis Hamlin, to suffer injuries and later pass away toward the end of December 2025. Hamlin’s mother also sustained injuries in the same incident and remained in critical condition, leaving the family in crisis during what should have been an offseason pause.

As Hamlin worked through the aftereffects, another challenge resurfaced. While sorting through what remained of his parents’ belongings amid the debris left by the fire, he fell and reactivated a shoulder issue. Hamlin later explained that the pain in his right shoulder, which required surgery in November 2023, had persisted even before that fall.

The incident compounded the period already filled with strain, leaving him with little space to process the weight of events developing in rapid succession. That emotional load is a concern for Hamlin going into the 2026 season, raised by former Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Steve Letarte.

Speaking on the Inside the Race podcast, Letarte focused on the unseen side of competition. “I don’t question his skill set. His age doesn’t bother me yet because I didn’t see anything that bothered me last year. Unfortunately, I really believe that it’s just going to be about can he continue to bring the focus and the emotion required to perform at the level that he performs.”

“And I think everybody would understand if it was a slow start to the year. I would think it would understand that we just heard Kyle Larson say that the offseason’s been too long. Well, I’m not sure Danny Hamlin’s even had an emotional offseason, right?”

“So much has gone on personally for the man like like but now the counter is, and I’ve seen this out of athletes, does he strap in and say, ‘I’m back in my happy place.’ For Denny, that’s going to be the key, is how he can manage, not having a whole lot of emotional time off,” he continued.

Returning to racing could carry an emotionally liberating feeling for the No. 11 Toyota driver, or go in the opposite direction, turning each lap into a drain for him. However, Letarte left little doubt about Hamlin’s capability to win again and collect multiple victories. The question, though, centers on whether he can match the level he reached last season after enduring what followed. That challenge would test any driver.

Still, Hamlin’s presence will be felt in the field as he remains committed to his longtime team and team owner Joe Gibbs. With Hamlin more than likely to challenge for the title if not outright win it, the field will certainly have to battle him either way.

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