Denny Hamlin Confesses Feeding Off Impatient JGR Teammate to ‘Control the Race’ in Bristol

Joe Gibbs Racing was on fire at the Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday. After tire management trumped other factors and emerged as the winning clause, veteran drivers led the way. JGR drivers Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr are the most senior NASCAR drivers. They also clinched the top two positions at the nail-biting Bristol race.

But the younger racers had to contend with new, unfamiliar elements. Accurately maneuvering your cars for minimal tire wear used to be routine back in the day. Now, racers rely on raw speed to conquer leads. The youngest JGR racer, Ty Gibbs, fell into that speed trap as he failed to solve the tire dilemma.

Denny Hamlin admits to manipulating junior teammate’s rush

Last Fall’s night race also transpired on a concrete track in Bristol. Goodyear used the same tires then without trouble. But people raised eyebrows when this time, bits of rubber came off of degraded tires. One reason could be the new resin injected into the bottom lane. 

This determined the development of the race, with seasoned racers utilizing their old tire-maneuvering skills. But the young blood found themselves fumbling, including Ty Gibbs. In an episode of ‘Actions Detrimental’, Denny Hamlin spilled the beans on his tactics against the JGR teammate. “So many times during that race, if I led and I had Ty Gibbs behind me, he was beating my rear bumper off. I’m just like, ‘Go. If you wanna go, go right ahead.’ And he’d blow by me by the outside, and he’d go. And then I’d watch him, and then I’m like, it’s just a matter of time…I liked to control the race from the front. I don’t wanna be second or third. But I was not willing to run the pace which he was forcing me to run.”    

Ty Gibbs led 205 laps in Bristol, marking the highest in his career. He also came off strong initially, winning the first two stages. But on the last run, the tire-priority conditions got the better of him. Gibbs lost his right rear and thus the momentum he had gained until then, finishing 9th. “I felt like we were great all day. That last run, the right rear just came apart.” He further said: “Just frustrating, but you have to work for it here.”

Hamlin detailed his own strategy for winning: “For me, it was pace and feel: don’t wear out the tires. Do what I need to do to make speed, driving this certain way, and still saving tires. That’s what paid off for me in the long run.” NASCAR officials explained that their tire-wear plan unexpectedly worked out in Bristol.

Bristol’s tire situation has been in the works since last year

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The Food City 500 race witnessed 54 lap changes, the highest in Bristol to date. This showed how drivers had to take it slow and steady to save their tires from a rough fate. Throughout the race, the concrete track would not tolerate rubber, and there was little to no grip as cars proceeded up the track. Greg Stuckler, the Director of Race Tires Sales for Goodyear, shed light on the situation.

Talking to Bob Pockrass, Stuckler said: “We tested here last year with the intent to come up with a tire package that generated more tire wear. That was the request from NASCAR and the teams. We feel like we had a very successful test, we feel like we had a very successful race in the fall of last year. We ran a full fuel stop and definitely saw wear, but we thought it was spot on.”

The tire management in Bristol tested short-track racing skills. After Denny Hamlin cleverly used his expertise to outsmart younger drivers, let us see how other short tracks fare for him.

Read More: Puzzled Denny Hamlin Drops 6-Word Bomb on HMS Drivers’ Bristol Misery