As the start of the NASCAR season inches closer, Denny Hamlin fans are growing more and more impatient. After what was another hit-and-miss season, Hamlin had to bid farewell to not just one but two of his primary sponsors. FedEx decided to pull the plug on their NASCAR funding and ended their 20-year partnership with the #11 team and Hamlin. Meanwhile, Mavis Tires has also left the #11 team stables, leaving them in a precarious position.

Sports Clip, Yahoo, and Coca-Cola have stuck around so far, but the loss of two primary sponsors indeed leaves a big hole for JGR to fill. From the outside looking in, this situation might not look alarming, but JGR fans have seen this movie play out before with Kyle Busch. And we all know that didn’t end on a good note for the driver after M&M’s parted ways with the #18 team. Rowdy and his bitter exit with JGR is well documented, so this situation with Hamlin is getting serious with every passion.

To make matters worse, Joe Gibbs’ grandson Ty Gibbs seems to have bagged a new sponsorship. Saia, a transport company worth $12.91 billion, will be featured in the NASCAR Cup Series. A post shared by an executive from the company on LinkedIn showcased the red and white Saia livery on Ty Gibbs’ #54 Toyota Camry. This news was shared by Toby Christie on X.

“According to Clayton Jones, an Account Executive at Saia Inc. on LinkedIn, Saia will have a presence on Ty Gibbs’ No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota this season. “Saia LTL is officially sponsoring #NASCAR!” Jones wrote.” By the looks of it, this is a done deal although it doesn’t mention which teams they are going to sponsor, Gibbs certainly will be backed by more sponsorship for the 2025 season.

Well, fans for some reason have never been on board with Ty Gibbs; it might be because of his links to his grandfather and having a full-time ride. But they certainly weren’t impressed with the new paint scheme that was on display.

Fans tear into Ty Gibbs for bagging a new sponsorship deal

Joe Gibbs Racing has yet to make this new partnership official. However, just going by the first looks of the car, the paint scheme was up to the mark, with a red and white color combination and branding of Saia across the panel, hood, and roof of the race car. Ideally, race fans like this clean and simple-looking scheme, but just because the sponsor was associated with Ty Gibbs, fans found a reason to throw shade on the driver. “Simple, clean scheme that would look good in any era. But wait, it’s Ty Gibbs so we have to hate it 🙄”

Imagine a 3-time Daytona 500 winner isn’t able to attract a sponsor to fund his race car. Meanwhile, a fairly amateur driver like Ty Gibbs who’s got the support of his family, bags new deals without any major achievements. This development was like rubbing salt in the wounds of Denny Hamlin fans. And it looks like this next comment might be from an ardent #11 team fan, “I don’t hate it. The driver is still a do–he.”

One user on Reddit took a sarcastic jab at Gibbs, stating that a transport company will come in handy in case he decides to ship his rivals into the wall. This just goes to show that the young driver has yet to build a connection with the race fans. Moreover, Hamlin’s pending sponsorship deal and uncertainty could also lead to this feeling of resentment for the driver of the #54 car. “Will come in clutch if he decides to ship someone.”

Usually, the sponsors associated with NASCAR use the platform to get the reach and visibility, and in turn, they fund the teams. But the experience with the services or the products being branded by these companies doesn’t always result in good experiences. And this race fan certainly had a bad one while using Saia’s transport service. “Horrific memories trying to track lost pallets with their support.”

Meanwhile, some even made microscopic assessments of how the whole theme was brought up on the #54 Camry. But even the simplistic look and feel of the red and white theme wasn’t enough to impress this race fan. “The number still having a white drop shadow on a white background, even though the only spot you can see it is that TINY bit where it overlaps the red at the bottom of the 4 is KILLING me.”

Is it worrying to see Ty Gibbs cash in more sponsorship support at a time when Denny Hamlin is struggling? Share your thoughts on this development in the comments.