After Denny Hamlin's 'shocking' take, Joe Gibbs associate explains Chris Gabehart's promotion: "Nothing to do with what car he was on"

The No. 11 crew chief change came as a surprise to Denny Hamlin, but Joe Gibbs Racing president Dave Alpern believes it was a necessary step for the team's growth.

On Friday morning, Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) announced a significant change for the upcoming season. Chris Gabehart, Denny Hamlin's crew chief for the past six years, will transition to the role of Competition Director for the team.

Alpern explained the decision in an interview with SiriusXM NASAR Radio and made it clear that the move was not owing to Hamlin’s performance.

"We got together and looked at, how can we get better? We all agreed, look, now's the time we really need to fill that competition director role... Chris Gabehart is a born leader. He's an amazing leader, very, very good at what he does... This had everything to do with Chris and nothing to do with what car he was on. It was just he's the right guy," Alpern said.

Chris Gayle, who previously worked with Ty Gibbs, will step in as the new crew chief for Hamlin.

"Chris Gayle and Chris Gabehart have similar background here at Joe Gibbs Racing that will keep the 11 car as stable and as intact as possible," he added.

Hamlin, 44, admitted earlier to Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports that the change was unexpected.

"I mean, I, I certainly was shocked by it. That’s all. They’ve gotta do what’s best for the company... We certainly hadn’t won the amount of races as an organization as what we should have," Hamlin said.

JGR failed to win in the last 18 Cup Series races, and none of its four drivers made the Championship 4 in Phoenix this season.

"He and Gabehart have established an incredible culture" - Denny Hamlin's new chief, Chris Gayle

Denny Hamlin and the No.11 team won 23 races including two Daytona 500s and reached the Championship 4 three times in the last six years with Gabehart.

Chris Gayle, who helped Ty Gibbs win the Xfinity championship in 2022, will now join the team as the crew chief in 2025.

"Denny is obviously a first-ballot Hall of Famer. I’m looking forward to working with him and the guys on the No. 11 team. He and Gabehart have established an incredible culture that is a very good barometer for our other drivers and teams to strive to match. I have all the confidence in the world we can hit the ground running and continue the success that this group is accustomed to in 2025," Gayle said in a release.

Meanwhile, Hamlin remains without a NASCAR Cup title after 20 years in the series.