Denny Hamlin has no words for JGR boss’s shock – Sports News
Joe Gibbs Racing has been rocked by the sudden and seemingly surprising departure of competitors director and Denny Hamlin’s longtime crew chief, Chris Gabehart.
The 44-year-old’s exit was confirmed on Wednesday on Day 3 of 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports’ high-stakes antitrust lawsuit towards NASCAR in Charlotte, North Carolina, by Jenna Fryer. Asked whereas on a break what he thought of Gabehart’s exit, Hamlin advised Fryer he had no remark.
From 2019 by way of 2024, Gabehart served as Hamlin’s crew chief, profitable 24 races and racking up a complete of 96 prime fives and 133 prime 20 finishes within the No. 11 Toyota. JGR introduced in November 2024 that Gabehart could be moved to the function of competitors director, one which left Hamlin admittedly “shocked,” as per NASCAR.
“The first few days was a shock, but I’m moving on,” Hamlin added. “There’s nothing I can do to change anything that happened, and JGR is doing what they feel is best for them and I totally understand that.
“And if all of our program gets better, the 11 car’s gonna run better as well, right? And I think that all of us, all the teams, knew that we needed to have better results than what we had at the end of the year. They feel like this is the change they need to [make] to get that and that the 11 team will benefit from those changes.”
Gabehart wound up being changed by Chris Gayle, who had beforehand served as Ty Gibbs’ crew chief with the No. 54. Together, he and Hamlin put collectively maybe his best championship run up to now, main the sequence with six wins and was simply 4 laps from profitable the title at Phoenix Raceway within the championship race earlier than a sudden warning brought on melee on pit highway.
A call from JGR to change all 4 of Hamlin’s tires dropped him behind title rival Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports, costing him the race win, which went to Ryan Blaney of Team Penske, and the championship, which went the best way of Larson.
“I would certainly argue [we were] the best organization all year long,” Gabehart advised reporters after the race, through Frontstretch. “I think it’s hard to argue that any which way. And won a lot of races and a ton of top fives, led a lot of laps, and it was a success.
“It was a learning curve for everybody. Really proud of the 11 team and Chris Gayle and Denny and the way they were able to go through a really, really tough offseason last year, along with myself, and one that a lot of people questioned the decisions, and then I don’t think anybody can question them today.
“We just didn’t get the horse the championship trophy, but we had the dominant car, led the most laps, had the best driver, and just couldn’t cover all the bases there at the end.”
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