Denny Hamlin has been elected to the 10-member board of directors of the Race Team Alliance. Meanwhile, former Richard Childress Racing President Torrey Galida has been nominated to replace outgoing chairman, Rob Kauffman.
Kauffman has been at the helm for over a decade now. As a team owner with a background in finance, Kauffman led RTA’s charge to develop the charter system. The organisation represents 15 teams that hold 36 charters across the field.
After 23XI Racing’s antitrust lawsuit revamped the charter agreement, teams have found middle ground with NASCAR. They now have evergreen charters that allow an increased share of the media rights deal.
Back in early April, Kauffman announced that he was planning to step down as much of the labour talk had been sorted. Galida, with his experience leading RCR, has been chosen as a worthy successor, according to Sports Business Journal.
Galida had a 10-year tenure as RCR’s president, before becoming their vice chairman in 2025. He retired the same year after 11 months in the role, as per his LinkedIn profile.
In addition to Kauffman, RFK Racing co-owner Jack Roush is also stepping down. Consequently, 23XI Racing’s Denny Hamlin and RFK Racing president Chip Bowers have stepped in to fill their spots.
JGR co-owner Heather Gibbs hints at extending Denny Hamlin’s contract
Denny Hamlin’s contract is set to expire by 2027, but the 45-year-old has shown no signs of letting up. After a heartbreaking end to his 2025 title bid, Hamlin expressed a lack of motivation to continue.
Many expected him to retire, but the No.11 driver vowed to see out his contract. This season, however, Hamlin has scored his maiden hat-trick and cut down his points deficit to just 19.
With four wins coming from three poles, Hamlin remains as competitive as ever. Joe Gibbs Racing co-owner Heather Gibbs reflected upon the same, saying,
“I think he wanted to be back. He had records to break. He had something to prove. He’s doing it now. We joked, we were like, You’re a spring chicken, you have so many years left. Now we’re trying to think of how we can keep him longer. With Denny, he’s been outstanding.”
Addressing Denny Hamlin’s future plans, Gibbs said,
“I think for Denny, he wants to leave on top, right? He doesn’t want to leave where it was one year too long. At this rate, what he’s producing out there, it’s not something you would not consider. We want the best drivers in our cars.”
“Our teams work to put the best cars on track. If it works out and he’s still producing and he wants to, it’s a huge commitment for him, he’s got his own team that he kind of wants to run. It’s hard when you dangle checkered flags in front of him, too,” she added
Denny Hamlin is currently second in the championship standings and is the closest he’s been to the regular season title.
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