Before the season began, when Chris Gabehart was promoted to competition director at Joe Gibbs Racing and Denny Hamlin was paired with a new crew chief, Chris Gayle, the move caught Hamlin completely off guard. Despite having worked with Gayle in select races before, he admitted he never imagined the team would roll the dice after such consistent success with Gabehart.
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Yet, that gamble appears to have paid dividends. With six wins for Hamlin this season, including two in the playoffs, Gayle’s impact has been nothing short of game-changing. His decisive four-tire call at Las Vegas proved the difference-maker, giving Hamlin the late-race edge he needed to hunt down teammate Chase Briscoe and seal his 60th win in the Cup Series.
Now locked into the Championship 4 for the first time since 2021, Hamlin reflected on the crew chief transition that once made him uneasy. “I mean, I was worried. Chris Gayle’s résumé was not mind-blowing by any stretch of the imagination. He also had a lot of young guys that he had to work with,” he said.
Hamlin also recalled how quickly the decision came together. “At the time, I mean, Joe (Gibbs) gave me essentially 24 hours to say yes or no to it, because Chris (Gayle) had another opportunity with another team in Cup. That was his option. He had an offer. He didn’t want to get drug around.”
“So I just told Joe essentially, do whatever you think is best. I trusted you in the past when we’ve made these kind of decisions. I’ll trust you again.”
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver confessed that he had his doubts early on, especially during his first conversations with Gayle. The pairing had come together so suddenly that he wasn’t sure how it would develop. But over time, the respect between them took firm root.
“I really appreciate his leadership. He pushes me as hard as Gabehart did. I made it very, very clear to him that regardless of my accolades or his, he is the leader, and I will respect whatever he tells me to do,” Hamlin explained. He simply showed the same faith in Gayle’s command, one that mirrors the bond he shared with Gabehart.
Hamlin added that he wanted Gayle to know he had his full confidence, freedom, and authority. He even encouraged Gayle to call him out when necessary, saying he shouldn’t hesitate to speak up if he felt Hamlin needed to make an adjustment behind the wheel.
Hamlin understood the weight Gayle might have been feeling while stepping into Gabehart’s shoes. The bar was really high after years of success, and even the 44-year-old driver admitted he feared whether Gayle could get the same performance out of him.
That said, after their Las Vegas win last Sunday, any lingering doubt has vanished. Hamlin now firmly believes Joe Gibbs made the right call, handing Gayle the No. 11 team’s reins and giving both men the chance to prove themselves.
