Denny Hamlin May Finally Have a Solution to His Sponsorship Woes

DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 16: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 National Debt Relief Toyota speaks to a crew member on the grid during a weather delay in the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 16, 2025 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

What’s Happening?

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin has not been quiet about his sponsorship woes since losing FedEx and Mavis Tires and Brakes this past off-season. However, an unlikely source could be stepping in to fill the rest of Hamlin’s 2025 sponsor inventory.

  • According to Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal, though a deal has yet to be completed, sources claim Joe Gibbs Racing is a prime candidate to sign Progressive Insurance as a primary sponsor in the NASCAR Cup Series. If the brand signs with JGR, it will be the first time it has sponsored a car since it did so with Ryan Newman in two races during the 2020 season.
  • JGR lost two major sponsors of their veteran driver, Denny Hamlin, this past offseason. The first to go was FedEx, which had sponsored the No. 11 since 2005 and sponsored 13 races in 2024. The second was Mavis, a short-term sponsor at JGR who sponsored eight races across two brands in 2024.
  • Returning sponsors from 2024 include SportClips and Yahoo. However, to fill the spots left by FedEx and Mavis, JGR has signed King’s Hawaiian, National Debt Relief, and AMPM Convenience stores to the No. 11 during the offseason and early part of the 2025 season.
  • Hamlin, a now 21-year veteran of NASCAR, has been open and honest about the difficulty in finding a new sponsor. During media availability at the 2025 Clash, Hamlin stated, “Is it concerning from my end? Maybe a little bit, but it’s probably more concerning from JGR’s standpoint.”

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Joey Logano Could Break Richard Petty’s 47-Year-Old Record

What’s Happening?

Joey Logano could break Richard Petty’s 47-year-old record for the most consecutive drafting-track races led this weekend at EchoPark Speedway. After leading laps in the Daytona 500, Logano has now led in 19 straight drafting-track races, dating back to 2023, tying a mark The King set from 1974 to 1979.

  • If Logano leads even a single lap in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race, he would set a new all-time record with 20 consecutive drafting-track races led.
  • Richard Petty established the original streak across events at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway, the only true drafting tracks of that era.
  • Since its 2022 reconfiguration, EchoPark Speedway has raced like a superspeedway, placing it in the same statistical category as Daytona and Talladega.
  • Joey Logano has led laps in 35 of his last 37 drafting-track starts dating back to 2019, with the only exceptions being Atlanta (now EchoPark) in July 2022 and Talladega in October 2022.
  • Since joining Team Penske in 2013, Joey Logano has led in 45 of the 59 drafting-track races disputed since the 2013 Daytona 500.

Logano now has a clear opportunity to move past Petty and claim sole possession of one of NASCAR’s longest-standing superspeedway records, and considering his and Team Penske’s history of dominance in this style of tracks, it seems that he is poised to break it.

Chris Gabehart and Denny Hamlin

Chris Gabehart Responds to JGR’s Lawsuit

What’s Happening?

Chris Gabehart has responded to Joe Gibbs Racing’s lawsuit, strongly denying the allegations and calling the claims “false,” “frivolous,” and “retaliatory” in a public statement released this Friday.

After the lawsuit became public, on Thursday, Gabehart spoke out for the first time, stating that he did not share any confidential JGR information with Spire Motorsports or any third parties and that he intends to prove that in court. He also said a third-party forensic review of his personal devices found no evidence supporting the accusations, adding that JGR declined an offer to examine Spire’s systems before filing suit.

“Yesterday afternoon, Joe Gibbs Racing filed a lawsuit claiming — falsely — that I shared JGR confidential information with Spire Motorsports and/or other unnamed third parties… I feel compelled to speak out today and forcefully and emphatically deny these frivolous and retaliatory claims.”

Gabehart said he will address the matter further in a formal legal response in the coming days.

You can learn more about the lawsuit, why it started and all the context surrounding it in the article linked below

What Happens if it Rains at Atlanta This Weekend?

What’s Happening?

Weather could play a major role in the NASCAR weekend at EchoPark Speedway, with current forecasts calling for a 40% chance of rain Saturday afternoon and increasing to 55% in the evening. While conditions are expected to improve, contingency plans are already in place in case races cannot be completed as scheduled

If Saturday Goes as Planned
  • All scheduled events run normally across the NASCAR Truck Series, O’Reilly Series, and Cup Series
  • No changes to Sunday’s schedule
If One Saturday Race Is Postponed
  • The delayed race would move to Sunday morning
  • It would run before the Cup Series race
  • Other races remain in their original slots
If Both Saturday Races Are Postponed
  • Sunday becomes a tripleheader, with the expected running order being: 1. O’Reilly Series, 2. Cup Series, 3. Truck Series
  • Schedule subject to change depending on conditions

NASCAR has not announced any official schedule changes yet, as decisions will be based on how conditions develop in real time. With rain chances increasing through Saturday afternoon and evening, teams are preparing for multiple outcomes, and Sunday is expected to serve as the primary backup window if events can’t be completed as planned.

Conditions are constantly being monitored, but fans should be prepared for possible schedule adjustments throughout the weekend. We’ll keep you updated throughout the race weekend here on The Daily Downforce