Apart from Christopher Bell, none of the Joe Gibbs Racing drivers have made it to the championship race in Phoenix in the Next Gen era. At the same time, we have seen Team Penske clinch three consecutive championships. So it was about time JGR with Toyota made some massive changes going into the 2025 season to get back in contention. But no one expected that Chris Gaheart’s exit from the No. 11 team would be part of the overhaul.

Denny Hamlin was shell-shocked to hear about Gabehart being bumped into the role of competition director. With Martin Truex Jr. being replaced by Chase Briscoe in the No. 19 team, Hamlin is now the senior driver, and that only adds more pressure and expectations on his shoulders. Well, these are just the starters, as more changes within JGR could either make or break their 2025 campaign.

Joe Gibbs Racing could struggle to put all pieces of the puzzle together in 2025

“There’s nothing I can do to change anything that happened, and JGR is doing what they feel is best for them, and I totally understand that.” Denny Hamlin said this after Gabehart departed from the No. 11 team. This partnership brought in two Daytona 500 trophies and a Southern 500 and made it to three championship races during their tenure. While the #11 has fallen short on the final hurdle in the Gen 7 car, it was widely believed that if Hamlin had a shot at winning the championship, it was with Gabehart.

So, ardent supporters of the #11 team weren’t particularly impressed with the decision the coach made for the 2025 season. Chris Gayle, who is replacing the trusted JGR veteran at the top of the pit box of the #11 team is a good prospect. But filing the void left by Gabehart could prove too big of a task for him. Also, it’s hard to guess if Hamlin will create a good chemistry with him in such a short time.

Well, there are questions surrounding the #19 team with Chase Briscoe replacing MTJ. This can either turn out to be a masterstroke or a risky bet gone wrong. Briscoe was a prolific driver in the Xfinity Series, where he snagged nine wins in a single year. But, as far as the Cup Series is concerned, he has only managed two wins in four years at Stewart Haas Racing.

An argument can be made that SHR necessarily didn’t provide him with the best equipment so. But a switch to the Toyota camp and working with the new crew chief might turn out to be a huge learning curve. This will also be a huge test for James Small, who struggled to get the No. 19 Toyota back in the victory lane since July 2023. So, a lot of unknowns for the #19 team alongside the #11 team.

Well, it’s not just the #11 and #19 JRG teams; even Ty Gibbs and the #54 team will have to adjust to new changes as Tyler Allen becomes the new crew chief. Another big challenge is how Gabehart’s role as the competition director will affect all the teams going into 2025.

Ty Gibbs was not immune to the major shake-up at JGR

Chris Gayle served as the crew chief for the #54 crew, and with him replacing Gabehart, the team was on a search for a new shot caller. Tyler Allen is now going to lead the charge for the #54 team, and that could lead to more issues for Gibbs. Especially if we are to reflect his performances in 2024. Despite being winless, he advanced to playoffs with Gayle at the top of the pit box and made good progress.

He finished 15th in the driver’s standings, which was better than his rookie season, and he also doubled the top 5 finishes in 2024. So was it the best decision to replace Gayle? He had worked with Gibbs since 2021, dating back to their days working together in the Xfinity Series? On top of that, moving him to the #11 team with Denny Hamlin, who has all but a few years of prime racing years left in him is a huge risk.

But as far as Gabehart’s role as the competition director is concerned, Bell certainly seems to be thrilled to work with him. “I’ve always had the utmost respect for Chris Gabehart. I felt like he was an amazing crew chief, super smart individual and I’m excited about his new role because I think he really can specifically help the 20 car and overall help the company get going to where all four of our cars are performing better.”

Well, most of the Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota fans will be hoping that all these changes work out in 2025. But it’s hard to see all the teams click and challenge the likes of Hendricks and Penske in their bid to compete for the championship.