Denny Hamlin issues BRUTAL JGR assessment after Homestead race

NASCAR star Denny Hamlin has issued a brutal verdict on Joe Gibbs Racing and their performance after six races of the 2025 Cup Series season.

Hamlin secured his first stage victory of the year after he charged through the field during stage two at Homestead on Sunday, with his 15 laps at the front the most he had led in 2025.

The 44-year-old started all the way down in 23rd and for most of the race did not feature in the top ten, but benefited from strong pit stops and blistering race pace on fresh rubber to rise through the order and eventually pass Larson at the line to earn the Stage 2 victory.

Despite a top-five finish for Hamlin and fellow JGR star Chase Briscoe, with the pair finishing P5 and P4 respectively, both drivers were left searching for more after their efforts in Miami.

Hamlin claims there is still ‘work to do’ for JGR

Whilst Hamlin described his #11 Toyota as a ‘top three car’, he also admitted that there is work to do and that they are lacking speed as a team in a frank and somewhat brutal assessment.

“I still think we’ve got work to do,” Hamlin said to the media after the race.

“I contend that we still don’t have the speed that it takes to lead a ton of laps, which is showing in laps led.

“We’re not leading laps like we have in the past. All of JGR. So I think we’ve just got to get our cars a little bit faster to really contend week in, week out, right now.”

Hamlin last won a NASCAR race at the 2024 Würth 400 nearly a year ago last April, and will be looking to return to his winning ways as soon as possible with JGR.

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