In 2018, for the first time since making his full-time Cup Series debut in 2006, Denny Hamlin went winless for an entire season. That was when Chris Gabehart stepped in from Joe Gibbs Racing’s Xfinity program to become the No. 11 team’s crew chief. He may have been a rookie in the premier class of NASCAR, but to Hamlin, he was a lot more.

As Gabehart recalled, when he joined the No. 11 team, “There was never a sit-down moment with Denny and I that was really like, ‘Okay, how does he feel about this?'” Butt that changed when they went out for lunch. “In that moment, I realized just how competitive he truly was,” Gabehart told Kevin Harvick. “When you look at where he was in his career, this was a make-or-break relationship for him.” But Hamlin put his trust in Gabehart… and it paid off.

Together, the Hamlin-Gabehart duo propelled the No. 11 team’s resurgence, winning 22 races. 13 of them came in 2019 and 2020 – their first couple of seasons as a unit. Their pairing was the second longest among active driver-crew chief ones, surpassed only by crew chief Alan Gustafson and Chase Elliott, who’ve been together since 2016. Needless to say, they formed a bond like few others in the NASCAR world. So, you can imagine how Denny Hamlin felt when he found out Chris Gabehart would no longer be his crew chief going forward. The worst part? JGR didn’t even consult the 44-year-old about this change.

“He’s got fewer years in front of him than what he has behind him. So, he doesn’t want to have to have a complete rebuild.” The incoming crew chief for the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team, Chris Gayle, evidently has clarity about the new situation. Yet Denny Hamlin’s struggles may undoubtedly amplify next season. Having spent 19 years on the Cup Series grid, the veteran driver is hardly ready to turn over a new leaf – rather to close his racing chapter.

“I certainly was shocked. That’s all I’ll say,” Hamlin revealed after JGR made the announcement. So, in breaking that off in such a “shocking” way, Joe Gibbs may bring more dismal news for his team. Although the No. 11 driver’s NASCAR journey began in 2005, it was the most exciting after 2018 (when he went winless, led a low number of laps (380), and ranked 11th in points). But since Gabehart joined him, for the entire 6 years, Hamlin ranked second in the series in wins (22) and laps led (6,072) and qualified for the Championship 4 playoff finale three times. This looked like a perfect recipe for finally achieving that elusive Cup title – but now that ambition seems to be fizzling out.

Not only that, but Denny Hamlin’s survival in the sport is also questionable. NASCAR expert Eric Estepp tapped the elephant in the room on his YouTube channel. Despite having 19 years of experience as a seasoned NASCAR driver, why was Denny Hamlin not a part of this decision? Why did Joe Gibbs suddenly drop Gabehart’s position update and “shocked” Hamlin? Estepp said: “Denny Hamlin is now 44 years old. And JGR didn’t even consult him first before they made this decision! Come on, Denny’s at least owed that.” Now that the deed is done, the consequences look very bleak.

Denny Hamlin already has a ton on his plate – handling the 23XI Racing team and tackling the NASCAR lawsuit are just some of them. So Joe Gibbs’ shock news may be a cue for more shocking updates soon. Estepp continued: “Moving Chris Gabehart to the competition director role is probably the best move for the whole company. But the No. 11 team specifically may struggle a bit out the gate. He has numerous distractions, other projects pulling at his attention. Now you expect him to build a whole new relationship with a new crew chief late in his career?

“Maybe this change will light a spark or maybe it will push Denny Hamlin closer to retirement.” That said, the change comes with little surprise if you look at JGR’s performance in the latter half of the season. Since Christopher Bell’s triumph at New Hampshire in June, JGR failed to win a single race for the rest of the season. Hamlin spoke on the hiring of Gayle in this context, saying, “I think they are looking for improvements on the 54, and they are looking for an overall improvement from all of the teams because we haven’t had the amount of races as an organization as we should have.”

What Eric Estepp said about Chris Gabehart becoming JGR’s new competition director being good for the team was true. After all, the crew chief has admitted, “I’m very much the guy who wakes up in the morning, looks in the mirror, and says, ‘What could I do better?’ And I go to bed the same way. I just think if a team is wired that way, that’s how you have the best team.” So, in that sense, Joe Gibbs & Co. seems to be moving in the right direction. As for Denny Hamlin, no matter how dismal the prospect seems, he is determined to make it work.

Denny Hamlin clarified his veteran status

Chris Gayle, Gabehart’s replacement, has no dearth of experience. Having served as a JGR crew chief since 2013, he has collected 37 Xfinity Series wins. However, Gayle’s focus has usually been on uplifting new and upcoming drivers. In 2017, Gayle followed Erik Jones to the Cup Series, where they won two races in four seasons. Then he won 11 races with Ty Gibbs in the Xfinity Series, both of them clinching the 2022 championship. So this resume of carving out the best from rookie drivers concerned Denny Hamlin. His 54-time Cup race-winning history does not exactly match the histories of Jones or Gibbs.

Despite Joe Gibbs shocking him, Denny Hamlin proceeded to offer clarity to Gayle about his situation. “Someone of my age, I think the easy answer would say, well, you’re just you’re an old dog… But I’ve made it very clear to Chris Gayle that I do not want you treating me with kid gloves. You need to tell me when I need to improve in something or if there’s an area that I’m weak in as a driver. I need that feedback, and I think that as long as he’s comfortable with that, we’re going to have a successful relationship. Because I am very self-aware, and I need someone to hold me accountable to be the best out there.”

Evidently, the veteran is trying to make Joe Gibbs’ decision work. As for the new No. 11 crew chief, he said, “It absolutely is a great honor and a great opportunity for me… If you look at Denny’s perspective, he’s been around a lot; he’s got a lot of years under his belt, and he’s ready to compete. I understand how JGR works, I understand the processes of the No. 11 team, the processes of JGR in general, and how all the tools work. So, hopefully, that will make it much more seamless than if we start from the outside.” Yet we will not know how well Hamlin and Gayle will gel together until the 2025 season starts.