Joe Gibbs Racing announced today that the organization has signed a multi-year agreement with King’s Hawaiian. As part of the partnership, Denny Hamlin will drive the No. 11 King’s Hawaiian Toyota Camry XSE in four NASCAR Cup Series races this season.
2025 marks the 75th anniversary of King’s Hawaiian. While the company has grown since Robert Taira founded his first bakery in Hilo, HI in 1950, King’s Hawaiian has remained a family-owned business dedicated to making irresistible food that brings people together, sparking good times and inspiring joy in every bite. Today, they are best known for their best-selling Original Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, Slider Buns, and Hamburger Buns, as well as the newest addition to the snacking game, irresistibly sweet and salty Pretzel Bites!
“We are thrilled to have King’s Hawaiian join our family at Joe Gibbs Racing,” said Joe Gibbs, owner and founder of Joe Gibbs Racing. “Their dinner rolls and other products have really become a part of the daily lives of so many families over the past 75 years and we look forward to helping them celebrate such a significant anniversary this season both on and off the track.”
King’s Hawaiian is scheduled to be the primary sponsor of Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota for races at Atlanta Motor Speedway (June 28), Daytona International Speedway (August 23), Bristol Motor Speedway (September 13), and Martinsville Speedway (October 26). In addition to its four-race primary sponsorship, King’s Hawaiian will also be featured as a full-season associate partner with Hamlin and the No. 11 team.
“As two family-owned businesses with a shared commitment to excellence and a long-standing tradition of continuous innovation and entrepreneurship, we are thrilled to announce this partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing and Denny Hamlin,” said Raouf Moussa, chief marketing officer for King’s Hawaiian. “This collaboration represents a perfect alignment of values and a unique opportunity to engage with the passionate NASCAR community to showcase our irresistible products and aloha spirit to millions of fans across the country.”
Hamlin will be competing in his 20th full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series. Entering 2025, Hamlin is tied for 12th on the all-time wins list with 54 victories, including three wins last year. 2025 is a year of change for the 44-year-old Virginia native as he will be working with crew chief Chris Gayle after Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Hamlin’s previous crew chief Chris Gabehart has been promoted to the team’s competition director role.
The King’s Hawaiian slate of races lines up well with Hamlin’s on-track success. He owns victories at all four tracks, including five at Martinsville, four at Bristol, three at Daytona, and one at Atlanta.
“We’re very excited to welcome King’s Hawaiian to our team,” said Hamlin. “It’s certainly a product we are very familiar with in our household and a great brand that has made a strong commitment to our sport. I’m looking forward to all the exciting things that we can do on and off the track to elevate their program to the next level.”
