After tensions flared at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Denny Hamlin is calling on Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) leadership to address the ongoing discord with teammate Ty Gibbs. Hamlin’s pointed remarks highlight the issues within the team as championship hopes hang in the balance, making the Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing relationship the center of focus following a high-stakes incident on Sunday.
Frustration Boils Over During New Hampshire Race
The friction within JGR became public when Ty Gibbs held up Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell for more than ten laps, culminating in a heated incident on Lap 111 that sent Gibbs’ No. 54 car into the wall, ending his race. Both Hamlin and Bell are tightly focused on advancing in the championship, while Gibbs, not a playoff contender, was seen racing them aggressively for minor positions, which proved costly for the team’s overall championship quest. Hamlin has consistently stated—both immediately after the race and on his Actions Detrimental podcast—that the intensity with which Gibbs raced his playoff teammates was unnecessary and jeopardized their collective championship ambitions.
“In my mind, he was racing entirely too hard,”
Hamlin said on his Dirty Mo Media podcast. —Denny Hamlin, JGR Driver
Hamlin explained that the hard racing for 11th place put him, Bell, and Chase Briscoe in an unfavorable position since every stage point is critical at this point in the season. Non-playoff teammates are often encouraged to support their championship-chasing cohorts, but in this case, Gibbs’ approach was viewed as detrimental. Hamlin remarked,
“We were racing at the time for 11th place. We, (Bell) and (Chase Briscoe) are all battling and scratching and clawing to try to get stage points, which is going to be life and death for us. It’s the air that we need to move on. I just felt like my teammate should not be the hardest car on the track to pass.”
—Denny Hamlin, JGR Driver
Hamlin Criticizes Lack of Race Awareness Among Teammates
To shed light on what he believes demonstrates proper understanding of context during a race, Hamlin compared Gibbs’ racing to that of Ross Chastain, a playoff competitor who chose not to battle Hamlin for a minor position for the sake of the larger picture.
“What Ross thought, more than likely, was that ‘I am not going to hold him up for this entire 60 lap run so I might as well try to prevent someone else from joining this party’ so he could just line up behind me and keep going,”
Hamlin explained. —Denny Hamlin, JGR Driver
He went on to add,
“This is the race craft that I feel like is missing — understanding that situation.”
—Denny Hamlin, JGR Driver
The veteran driver has observed that such intense intra-team battles make it exceptionally difficult for any JGR driver to succeed, saying,
“Certainly, these things are hard enough to win anyway but if you’re going to have to race your teammates harder than anyone on the track, then this is going to be really tough for any one of us to win.”
—Denny Hamlin, JGR Driver
Calls for Clear Guidance from Team Leadership
According to Hamlin, the solution lies not with the drivers themselves but with clear, decisive guidance from JGR’s upper management. He referenced a prior competition meeting where non-playoff drivers were asked to help their contending teammates where possible. With dynamics unchanged, Hamlin reiterated the need for authoritative direction from figures such as Coach Gibbs, team president Dave Alpern, or competition director Chris Gabehart.
“What I want to happen is just leadership stepping in and telling us what to do,”
Hamlin urged. —Denny Hamlin, JGR Driver
Hamlin added,
“If you want us to race each other cutthroat, no matter what your position is in relation to the standings, we can definitely do that.”
—Denny Hamlin, JGR Driver
Hamlin Warns Against Internal Rivalries Hindering Championship Efforts
Drawing on examples from other dominant organizations, Hamlin praised Hendrick Motorsports and Team Penske for fostering respect and cooperation among their own drivers during championship battles. He emphasized that JGR must avoid situations where internal rivalries sabotage the collective chances for success.
“If you’re going up against that, and not only that, but your teammates being the most difficult ones to pass, we might as well just hang this thing up,”
Hamlin stated. —Denny Hamlin, JGR Driver
He continued, explaining that mutual support is vital,
“It’s too difficult to win (a championship) naturally, much less, if we’re going to have everyone race for themselves and it doesn’t matter if you’re racing for a championship or not.”
—Denny Hamlin, JGR Driver
Hamlin pondered Gibbs’ own motivations for not supporting his playoff-bound teammates, saying,
“And from my standpoint, I would think Ty would want one of us to win a championship because it’s his name on the building.”
—Denny Hamlin, JGR Driver
This underscores the personal ties within the organization, as Ty Gibbs is the grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs, intensifying the expectation of unity and cooperation.
Incident Escalated from On-Track Tactics, Not Malicious Intent
Hamlin also addressed speculation regarding the collision with Ty Gibbs, stating that persistent blocking and aggressive moves led to the contact, rather than any intent to crash a teammate deliberately. The aggressive tactics were directed not only at Hamlin but also at Christopher Bell, until Hamlin became part of the conflict. The resulting crash nearly involved Bell as well, compounding the intra-team strife at JGR.
Awaiting Resolution at Next JGR Competition Meeting
Tensions remain unresolved as of the lead-up to Monday’s scheduled JGR competition meeting. Communication between Hamlin and Ty Gibbs has been nonexistent, with no texts or calls exchanged following the incident. Hamlin emphasized the necessity of leadership intervention, saying,
“The challenge is I think that me and Ty are going to have different opinions, therefore you need leadership to step in and say this is how we want it done,”
—Denny Hamlin, JGR Driver
He further committed,
“And then we will play by those rules. Whatever those rules are, I will play by those rules, but I’ve been told in the past, ‘if you’re not in it, you do everything you can to help your teammates that are in it.’”
—Denny Hamlin, JGR Driver
What’s Next for Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Their Championship Aspirations?
The aftermath of the New Hampshire incident leaves Joe Gibbs Racing and its senior leadership with a critical decision about enforcing team orders and expectations among drivers. With organizations like Hendrick Motorsports and Team Penske achieving success through internal collaboration, JGR must decide whether to follow suit or risk further in-fighting. The next steps taken by Coach Gibbs, Dave Alpern, and Chris Gabehart could be pivotal, not only for resolving the rift between Hamlin and Ty Gibbs, but also for maximizing the team’s championship prospects as the season intensifies.
