As the NASCAR Cup Series prepares for its 2025 season opener, speculation has arisen about which long-time drivers might next hang up their helmets. 2017 champion Martin Truex Jr. has already stepped aside from full-time competition – retiring after 2024 – though he’s entered in the 2025 Daytona 500 as a one-off with TRICON Garage. With Truex exiting, attention has turned to other elder statesmen.
In particular, Denny Hamlin (44) and Kyle Busch (39) are drawing retirement talk. Hamlin insists he’ll keep racing “while (his) drive is still there,” pointing out that he’s won multiple races as recently as this season. Busch, now in the final year of his contract at Richard Childress Racing, admitted in March that retirement “was a consideration three years ago,” but emphasized he still loves racing and is focused on getting back to Victory Lane.
Kyle Busch piloting the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. Busch endured a rough 2024: he went winless and missed the playoffs for the first time in 20 years, breaking a series record of 19 straight seasons with at least one victory. The Next Gen car has been challenging for him – he’s spoken of searching for a setup “like a needle in a haystack” – and he publicly stressed early in 2025 that winning races is paramount.
Busch told FOX Sports, “I would say you gotta win, right? … Being able to get back to Victory Lane… is definitely paramount.” As recently as April, however, he downplayed any immediate retirement decision: “I wouldn’t say there are any glaring reasons to think about what my future’s going to be right now,” he told reporters. RCR teammate Austin Dillon echoed that sentiment, saying the team will do everything possible to keep Busch competitive.
Denny Hamlin speaks with media in late 2024. Hamlin enters 2025 still one of the Cup’s top performers. He won back-to-back spring races at Martinsville and Darlington in 2024, extending his streak of season wins to seven straight years. At Bristol in April he addressed retirement rumors directly, comparing himself to other drivers. “I think… Kevin Harvick was 48 when he retired – he was still on top of his game,” Hamlin said. “I think it’s different for everyone… My drive is still there and obviously the performance is still there. I’m gonna try to just win all I can this window while it is still there,” he added. In short, Hamlin has given no timeline for stepping away and continues to focus on winning races, noting that many drivers have raced into their mid-to-late 40s.
If Hamlin or Busch does retire, the ripple effects would be significant. Busch’s departure would leave the RCR No. 8 Chevrolet seat open – a spot that numerous up-and-coming drivers would covet. Names like Xfinity champion Chandler Smith or short-track standout Josh Berry are often mentioned as future Cup prospects.
At Joe Gibbs Racing (where Hamlin drives the No. 11 Camry) or 23XI Racing (where Hamlin is co-owner of the No. 23 team), finding a successor could involve promoting a development-driver or signing a veteran free agent. Ty Gibbs (currently with 23XI) could be a logical candidate to jump to JGR if Hamlin vacates, for example. Teams are already preparing: RCR, JGR and 23XI have expanded development programs so that potential replacements are on standby.
Meanwhile, both organizations have publicly voiced faith in their veterans. Dillon has said he hopes Busch will “retire with RCR” and noted that Busch has “enjoyed his time at RCR and wants to be at this organization to the end”. JGR and 23XI officials similarly have not indicated any urgency to replace Hamlin.
For now, both Busch and Hamlin remain under contract and are expected to race in 2025. Busch himself said he plans to keep working with his team and chasing wins, and Hamlin’s recent wins show he isn’t slowing down. But NASCAR observers agree that this could change quickly if results or circumstances shift. Any retirement announcement from either driver would immediately create a major story – and a scramble for one of Cup’s premier seats. As one team executive put it, aside from Truex’s exit, “the biggest question mark remains which of our veterans might be next,” but “for now the message from both is: we’re here to race.”
ALSO READ: Inside the Closest Daytona 500 Finish Ever—How Denny Hamlin Stole Victory From Martin Truex Jr.
