Denny Hamlin took his seat behind the microphone in the NASCAR Awards Media Room at the Charlotte Convention Center anticipating the questions. He just didn’t have all the answers.
“No and no,’’ Hamlin said Friday when asked if he had requested a change or was even aware a change was coming to the leadership of his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team.
The JGR team announced early Friday that Hamlin’s crew chief for the past six years, Chris Gabehart, has been named competition director of the entire four-car JGR operation, and Chris Gayle has moved from leading Ty Gibbs’ No. 54 JGR team to Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota.
A new crew chief will be named for Gibbs shortly, according to the team.
“I certainly was shocked by it, I will tell you that,’’ said Hamlin, who said he was called into the shop for an uncommon 6 p.m. meeting Thursday evening and received the news.
“They have to do what’s best for the company, and I think they are looking for an improvement on performance for the 54 (Gibbs) and an overall improvement for all the teams, because we certainly didn’t win the number of races as an organization that we should have won.”
For his part, Gibbs said he did not ask for a new crew chief, but he does expect to have some input into who will be his team’s new leader, as he seeks his first victory in NASCAR’s top division.
“Chris has meant the world to me and been with me for most of the ups and downs of my life, and I’ve won a (2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series) championship with him and 12-13 races with him,’’ Gibbs said of Gayle.
“I’ve really appreciated the time I’ve gotten to work with him and think him and Denny hopefully will be a great fit, and I’m excited to see what happens going forward and improving the team as a whole organization.’’
JGR’s Christopher Bell, driver of the No. 20 Toyota, was optimistic about the personnel moves as well.
“I think it has the potential to help out all the teams,’’ said Bell, a three-race winner in 2024. “Gabehart is an incredibly smart person. He was a huge asset to the 11 car, and I think moving him to oversee the crew chiefs and be able to provide input and knowledge and just kind of keep all of the teams in line is a solid move, and I think it has the potential to increase the performance of all the teams.”
Hamlin was similarly philosophical about the personnel move and eager to see what the re-organization means in trying to secure the three-time DAYTONA 500 winner his first series championship.
“Every relationship has an opportunity to thrive, and certainly I felt like I had a good one with Gabehart,” Hamlin added. “We had some good success, and I’ve won with all the crew chiefs I’ve ever been with. I would expect this to be the same.”
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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