Sparks flew between Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday. The No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE driver felt wronged by Ty in the first race of the Round of 12 this season, and retaliated as well.
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Ty was seen racing hard for position against Hamlin during the race. He, in fact, kept not only Hamlin but also another teammate and playoff contender, Christopher Bell, at bay. It hampered their chances of achieving the best possible finish in their quest for the ultimate prize in the sport, while Ty himself is not competing in the playoffs.
Understandably, Hamlin was frustrated, and he spun Gibbs around as a show of displeasure. The latest to give his verdict on whether it was the right thing to do or not is former NASCAR driver turned analyst and broadcaster, Kyle Petty.
The 65-year-old veteran stated that team owner Joe Gibbs failed to embrace his role as the ‘Coach’ at JGR, mentoring drivers and helping them move forward. Instead, Joe decided to stay out of the matter and let his drivers talk it out, which did not sit right with Petty.
“What disturbed me was what Joe Gibbs said. He said, ‘It’s not about me, it’s about the drivers.’ What’s that mean? I thought it was ‘Coach’ Gibbs. I know when I played sports back in high school, when I had a disagreement with a teammate, [the] coach put his arm around us. He said, ‘Look, boys, you gotta get along, man. You’re on the same team. Let’s get along,” sounded off Petty.
“That’s not what Joe Gibbs is saying. He is saying, ‘Boys, have at it.’ When I say that, I have to rethink my position, Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs are right; there is an ‘I’ in team at JGR,” he added.
Is it every man for himself at JGR?
What Petty seemed to imply was that each driver at JGR is responsible for his own actions and results. Teamwork, it seems, is not of the highest priority at one of NASCAR’s biggest teams today. The happenings at Loudon might have reflected that to some extent. And Coach Gibbs’ relationship with both Hamlin and his grandson seems to have had a bearing on what he said after the two came together.
Hamlin is the team’s winningest driver, and it is safe to say the loudest voice with the most influence on the team. On the other hand, Ty is the team owner’s grandson. And this dynamic between the two drivers seems to have led Joe Gibbs to remain neutral.
While he could have sided with one of them, it is easy to see why he did not want to pinpoint anyone’s mistake in public and preferred to take matters internally. What now remains for the team owner is to publicly acknowledge his stance on the tussle between his drivers.
If Joe Gibbs does so in the coming few days, we would say no harm, no foul. And everyone can look forward to the races as NASCAR heads to Kansas next weekend, all while the playoffs heat up.
