Denny Hamlin is in an interesting position this season. He is currently in second place in the standings behind his 23XI Racing driver, Tyler Reddick, meaning he could win and lose the title at the same time. On3 recently spoke to Hamlin about the battle, and he revealed what he wants to happen.

“I’m very proud of him. Listen, I hope nothing would be more awkward, I think, than me finishing second in the standings to Tyler Reddick, going up and getting my second-place trophy, and then having to be the championship car owner that wins that,” Denny Hamlin said. “So I don’t know how that would work, but hopefully the roles were reversed, and we win, and he finished second.”

Hamlin has yet to win a Cup Series title despite winning 61 races. However, the 45-year-old is a regular-season champion as an owner after Reddick won the title in 2024.

Denny Hamlin is ‘proud’ of the growth of 23XI

Reddick has put together a strong first half of the 2026 season, winning five races (including the Daytona 500), and has finished in the top 15 in every race this year. Reddick began the season winning at Daytona, Atlanta, and COTA.

With the production of Reddick and Bubba Wallace, who is currently in 10th place in the standings, 23XI Racing is emerging as one of the top teams in NASCAR. Hamlin started 23XI with NBA legend Michael Jordan in 2020, and he’s happy with how much it has grown over the years.

“It was a dream to start this thing five years ago, but to see where that team has gone in such a short amount of time is just, it’s very proud,” Hamlin said. “I mean, there’s anyone that has any kids understands you’re far more proud of them of their accomplishments than anything that you actually do yourself. So for me, knowing that I have a much larger role of winning over there than what I do actually as a driver… As a driver, if I win, I’ve done a great job doing my little part. As a race team owner, you know that you’ve had a hand in just about everything in the performance of that car, especially on the competition side.”