Denny Hamlin evaluates differences between him and Tony Stewart owning NASCAR team

Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart were teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing for a number of seasons, and the duo shared the responsibilities of being a NASCAR team owner over the last couple of years.

Now, Stewart has decided to move on from the sport, as Stewart-Haas Racing will cease operations at the end of the 2024 campaign. On the other hand, Hamlin’s 23XI Racing seems like a fledgling superteam in the making, only scratching the surface of their potential.

On the latest episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin spoke on what goes into owning a NASCAR team, and how committed you have to be to run one during this day in age, while speaking on Stewart-Haas Racing’s departure.

“They’ve also got a lot other things to do,” Hamlin started, regarding Stewart and Gene Haas. “So for me personally, I’ve also got a lot of other things to do. So you would ask, ‘Denny, why are you investing in it?’ Well, I’m still in my low-40s. Low 40s. Not quite to the mid yet. And this is what I’ve been doing most of my life, right? I’ve been 20 years driving, and you know, I do love the sport. I’m not willing to risk it all to be in it, but I’ve done well over time, and I saw an opportunity to come in and be a part of the sport, and try to give back to it, also while being able to be part of it in the long-term, past my driving days. But I don’t have any other — I mean, I’ve got this podcast. I’m a dad. I do these other things, but for the most part, most of my life in engrained in being in NASCAR, as a driver and an owner.

“Tony Stewart has other things that he’s doing. He’s driving in NHRA, he has a team. Gene Haas has his business, his big business, and he has a F1 team. So this is not their life’s work. It more is, for people like me. Now, there’s not many people out there, who are willing to enter the sport, because they’ve been a driver forever and they’re willing to shell up the money that it takes to be a part of it. Now, over the long-term, I hope to get my investment back, of course, but that’s more of a long-term play. But I enjoy it. I enjoy working at 23XI as the team-owner, and being in the meetings, and being in the know. I just think for every person, it’s different.”

Additionally, Hamlin highlighted some key differences in his personality versus Stewart’s make-up, and the way the former JGR teammates think about the NASCAR Cup Series.

“For Tony, he never was the guy that was you know, hands-on, as much as what I am, at 23XI,” Hamlin stated. “Now, I’m not as accomplished as Tony Stewart either. We do things a little different, and that’s fine. He has many other things that he is — other hobbies, different jobs that he’s interested in, so maybe me and him don’t think the same way about NASCAR, which is a very likely scenario.

“So I think they just found the point where the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze anymore to participate in this sport.”

Alas, that’s a measured look at Stewart-Haas Racing’s departure from Denny Hamlin. He’ll be hoping to reach the heights that SHR did throughout their time in NASCAR with 23XI Racing, and if Hamlin’s commitment doesn’t wane, there’s a path to doing so.