Joe Gibbs Racing Tears Apart Denny Hamlin’s Championship Dream as Salty Internal Tensions Exposed

Tensions were flaring high and the pressure kept on building at Joe Gibbs Racing following Denny Hamlin‘s controversial comments about his teammate and Joe Gibbs’s grandson. And the much-anticipated superspeedway race at Daytona once again highlighted just that.

Apart from the veteran’s startling comments, favoring his 23XI Racing driver over his young teammate, the rookie Ty Gibbs the differences were evident at Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400. While the JGR veteran sparked some controversy owing to his remarks the race itself was more of a hustle for JGR cars as it looked like it was every man for himself.

Denny Hamlin’s startling comments trigger an avalanche as the veteran pays the price at Daytona

Already set for the playoffs with two impressive yet controversial wins, the JGR veteran looked quite relaxed and confident heading into the 2.5-mile speedway run at the iconic Daytona Speedway. However, things were not as comfortable for his driver Bubba Wallace or for his boss’s grandson, Ty Gibbs.

Both the #23 driver and #54 driver were in close contention to the playoff 16 with Wallace having the upper hand at the 14th spot. While Wallace needed a decent finish to solidify his playoff berth, Gibbs on the other hand needs to make it big in order to continue his dream rookie season.

But it looks like there are far more things at play here. Recently when asked about the drivers’ scenarios, Hamlin took a surprising stance that raised some eyebrows. Emphasizing his stand, Hamlin was clear about being a leader for his driver but when it came to taking sides, the 42-year-old took what might be a startling stance for many.

“I’d probably lean towards the #23 [Bubba Wallace’s] side,” said the driver to the media before his Saturday’s speedway run. Moreover, while the Hendrick Motorsports cars were busy watching each other backs, looking to point the dejected Chase Elliott for a final time, JGR cars on the other hand were waging a different battle with all of its drivers having their own agenda.

It was more evident in the race as both the JGR veterans – Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr battled for the lead while their younger teammate did their best to make the most of the race.

READ MORE: Denny Hamlin Publicly Defies Joe Gibbs With 6-Word Declaration

Denny Hamlin pays the price as NASCAR slaps the veteran with a penalty

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The JGR cars were strong with Hamlin taking charge briefly until Truex Jr took the lead and won Stage 1, winning him the regular season championship. While the #20 car helped the team’s youngest driver, bumping him to push him to the lead, Hamlin was caught by a pit lane penalty that eventually took his back.

A crew member got over the wall as the #11 car pitted during the green, prompting the organization to levy a stiff penalty. Fans quickly chimed in with their take as popular NASCAR journalist, Jeff Gluck broke the news to netizens.

“Couldn’t happen to a better guy,”

Commented one fan who was obviously stirred up by the veteran’s comments.

WATCH THIS STORY: Denny Hamlin swears loyalty away from Joe Gibbs during contract discussions

While another fan wrote, “Hahahahaha” 

“Dear Denny. Your pit crew f*cking sucks. Dear Denny.”

Said another user.

Fans ever chimed in with animation, expressing their true emotions,