Denny Hamlin’s split from his long-time crew chief Chris Gabehart came as one of the most startling developments of the last off-season, catching not only the NASCAR community but also Hamlin himself off guard. Since teaming up in 2019, the duo has celebrated 23 wins together. Recently, Hamlin expressed his initial displeasure with the split and disclosed his dismay at being excluded from the decision-making process concerning his own #11 team.
Advertisement
During a recent stint on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast, when prompted by Junior about his feelings after the unexpected change, Hamlin didn’t mince words.
He admitted, “Yeah, I mean there was a period there where I certainly was not happy with Joe Gibbs Racing, or decisions that they decided to make in the off-season, kind of without talking to me at all about it.”
He detailed his initial trepidation, stating, “I was worried, I certainly was worried. I certainly felt like you know, okay, I don’t want to start over, I’m too late in my career to start all over with someone again, and I just wasn’t really excited about that.”
However, after mulling it over for a week, Hamlin chose to adopt the change and make the most of his new partnership with crew chief Chris Gayle. He shared that a shift in perspective helped him sideline his concerns and see the bigger picture.
Adopting a thoroughly professional approach, Hamlin resolved to give Gayle a genuine opportunity to demonstrate his capabilities. Now, two months into their first Cup season together, their partnership has already shown results — a win in the first seven starts, two top-5 finishes, and one top-10.
Currently, the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver holds the P6 position in the standings with 218 points, trailing the leader, William Byron, by 41 points.
While Gabehart’s rise has proven beneficial for the entire Joe Gibbs Racing team, particularly for Christopher Bell — who expressed a keen interest in uncovering the secret sauce behind Hamlin’s successful partnership with his former crew chief — the impact of this change on Hamlin’s pursuit for his first Cup championship remains up in the air.
