Joe Gibbs Racing has had quite a shakeup in its structure. In a shocking turn of events, Denny Hamlin’s crew chief, Chris Gabehart, has been promoted to competition director, which means Chris Gayle will be sitting atop the pit box for the No. 11 Toyota. Ever since Wally Brown stepped down from his role in 2022 to work in a shop capacity, the team had been operating without a competition director, which was beginning to take a toll on the results, as seen in the second half of the 2024 Cup Series.

While it might not have been a situation Denny Hamlin wanted, the appointment was necessary for Joe Gibbs Racing. Keeping in mind the bigger picture, Chris Gabehart’s new responsibilities may help cover up some of the visible cracks that plagued their 2024 campaign, while setting higher expectations from 2025 and beyond.

Joe Gibbs’ controversial decision will pay off in the long run

Few figures in NASCAR are as respected as Chris Gabehart. The 43-year-old is largely given the credit for turning Denny Hamlin’s career around after the No. 11 driver finished the season winless in 2018. This time around, Joe Gibbs Racing is hoping for a similar revival, but on a larger scale. The team hasn’t had the season they had hoped for, as none of their drivers made it to Championship 4 for the first time in the franchise’s history. Meanwhile, rivals Team Penske took over half the spots in the final four, winning their third consecutive title. Knowing that changes needed to be made, team owner Joe Gibbs was forced to take drastic action.

Highlighting how Gabehart’s appointment could prove to be beneficial in the long run, NASCAR Youtuber Eric Estepp said, “If you’re a Joe Gibbs Racing fan, putting Chris Gabehart in the Competition Director role is a huge win. I think he’s great. Even if you’re a Denny Hamlin fan, while you’re losing that direct Gabehart influence, he’s still going to have influence over how your car performs and I think all of Joe Gibbs Racing could do with a revamp the way 2024 ended. So Hamlin, though not working directly with Gabehart anymore may have faster cars. Maybe Gabehart can lead that engineering team, and help them find some speed that they’ve lost.”

For  Joe Gibbs Racing to go winless in the second half of the season is unacceptable. After Christopher Bell’s win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the team didn’t enter Victory Lane for the remaining 18 races. At the same time, Team Penske secured six wins, Hendrick Motorsports won four times, and even TG Daugherty and Wood Brothers Racing secured triumphs. Taking these factors into account, promoting a figure like Chris Gabehart into a Competition Director’s role could only be a positive move, as he knows the team inside out and has the experience to turn JGR’s fortunes around in 2025.

While that will be easier said than done, Gabehart has plenty of positives he can take from the 2024 campaign. Despite the lack of wins, Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell made it to the Round of Eight and narrowly missed out on a spot in Championship 4, while 23XI Racing, which has a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs’ team, had a driver compete for the Bill France Cup at Phoenix Raceway (Tyler Reddick). With Chris Gayle taking over as crew chief for Denny Hamlin from Ty Gibbs, one of the first things on Gabehart’s agenda will be to appoint Gayle’s replacement for the No. 54 car ahead of the new season.

Denny Hamlin was shocked by Gabehart’s departure

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To say that Denny Hamlin and Chris Gabehart share a close bond would be an understatement. Both of them have overcome plenty of highs and lows as a driver and crew chief combination over the last six years. The No. 11 Toyota has managed to secure 22 out of its 54 Cup Series wins with the Kentucky native atop the pit box, highlighting just how successful the partnership has been. However, Hamlin was kept in the dark in regard to his recent promotion, and the news didn’t go down well when the veteran driver was called into a meeting.

Recalling the conversation, the Florida native said, “I mean, I certainly was shocked by it. That’s all I’ll say. It does [shock me], but again, they’ve got to do what is best for the company. I think they’re looking for an improvement on performance on the [No.] 54, and they’re looking for an overall performance for all of the teams because we certainly hadn’t won the amount of races as an organization as we should.”

The news was surprising for Chris Gabehart as well, who experienced mixed emotions after being promoted. Reflecting on his conversation with Hamlin, the former crew chief said, “The conversation with Denny was a tough one and it’s still admittedly tough for me to come off the (pit) box and realize that maybe I’ve called my last race.” However, like a true professional, the 43-year-old will embrace his newfound responsibilities seamlessly, to take Joe Gibbs Racing back where the team belongs. Challenging for the championship once again.