NASCAR: Denny Hamlin quiet on Richard Petty Motorsports rumor
By Asher Fair
Denny Hamlin did not comment on the rumor that he is interested in purchasing an ownership stake in the Richard Petty Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series team.
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin has been rumored to purchase an ownership stake in the Richard Petty Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series team.
This rumor has included Richard Petty Motorsports forming a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing and switching manufacturers from Chevrolet to Toyota to effectively make up for the fact that Leavine Family Racing, which formed a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs’s team after the 2018 season, will be shutting down after 2020.
However, the details about this possibility remain unclear since there is currently a rule that prevents drivers who compete for a four-car team from owning another car. Hamlin drives the #11 Toyota for a four-car team.
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Under that interpretation of the rule, Hamlin would have to drive for Richard Petty Motorsports to make such a deal possible.
It had been rumored that six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan would be a part of this deal, but that has been repeatedly shot down by his spokesperson.
Hamlin has had a deal with Nike’s Michael Jordan Brand for several years, so there were talks about him investing in Jordan Brand with the NBA Hall of Famer as the owner, allowing him to stay put at Joe Gibbs Racing while still being involved in the new deal, effectively skirting the rule.
Hamlin did not reveal anything about this acquisition and whether or not it is still on the table — or if it ever was — when asked.
Here is what he had to say about the matter, according to Autoweek.
"“I don’t have anything to announce or to speak about when it comes to it. I think that I’m always looking towards what I’m going to do after my driving career is over. I’ve got some great partners that support me and my decisions in what I will do for years to come. So, I don’t know. I wish I had something to announce, but I really don’t.”"
Notably, however, he did not deny the rumor, unlike Jordan’s spokesperson.
Hamlin did also rule out competing for a team other than Joe Gibbs Racing, however, shutting down the rumor that if he were to purchase an ownership stake in the team, he would also compete for the organization.
So if this deal does come to fruition, it will be interesting to see how it is goes down, given the current four-car driver/owner rule.
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Richard Petty Motorsports said recently that they are “very close” to making multiple major announcements, so we should get answers in the coming days or weeks.