Denny Hamlin’s ex-crew chief hails JGR teams’ versatility to take 5 checkered flags

Modified Apr 07, 2025 19:45 GMT

NASCAR: Practice and Qualifying - Source: Imagn

Chris Gabehart, former crew chief for Denny Hamlin and the current Director of Competition at Joe Gibbs Racing, was thrilled to see his former driver snag his second straight NASCAR Cup Series win on Sunday at Darlington. To go along with Christopher Bell's three-peat earlier this year, JGR has won five of the first eight races.

Gabehart took to X hours removed after Sunday's Goodyear 400 to reflect on the stellar start to the season for JGR. The former crew chief made a point that the JGR teams have been able to win in various ways, such as on Sunday. Gabehart wrote:

"...and now 🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁 It's fun to be able to see the teams be versatile enough to win them multiple different ways. Today, @dennyhamlin stayed in the game all day long, handed the ball to the pit crew, and they CRUSHED it. So proud of everyone @JoeGibbsRacing for such a diverse effort! And now for my favorite... @ItsBristolBaby ! 😎"

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Hamlin was running third with four laps remaining in Sunday's race until a caution for Kyle Larson spinning out changed everything. Trailing leader Ryan Blaney and second-placed Tyler Reddick, Hamlin's #11 pit crew got him off pit road first and gave him the lead for an overtime finish. From there, the driver of the #11 fended off the field for his second straight win.

Sunday's win was the 56th in Hamlin's career and his fifth at Darlington. It was the Chesterfield, Virginia native's first win at the South Carolina track since September 2021. Last week, Hamlin dominated at Martinsville by leading 274 of 500 laps en route to victory. It was his sixth win at Martinsville and first since March 2015.

Gabehart was formally Hamlin's crew chief from 2019-2024. The pairing won two Daytona 500s back-to-back in 2019 and 2020 while also making three straight Championship 4 appearances (2019-2021). However, the duo failed to win the championship in all three attempts. After Gabehart took over as Director of Competition at JGR, Chris Gayle took over as Hamlin's crew chief ahead of 2025.

Denny Hamlin referenced former NASCAR star Carl Edwards in humorous IG post after Darlington win

In honor of NASCAR's throwback weekend, Denny Hamlin piloted a Carl Edwards-inspired paint scheme, one that looked like the latter's 2006 #99 Office Depot car. Edwards was known for doing celebratory backflips off his car after his wins, but Hamlin wasn't going to follow suit after winning at Darlington on Sunday.

After the win, Hamlin shared photos from the win celebration on Instagram. The 56-time Cup Series winner gave a nod to Edwards in his caption, writing:

"Sorry I can’t do a backflip"

Hamlin is in his 20th full-time season in the Cup Series and has spent all of them with Joe Gibbs Racing. He is still seeking an elusive first Cup championship in 2025.

About the author

John Breeden is a NASCAR content writer at Sportskeeda with over three years of sports journalism experience. His career began back in 2021, when he started writing for The Breeze - a student-run publication at James Madison University that covered a wide variety of collegiate sports. He graduated from JMU in May 2022 with a degree in media arts and design concentrating in journalism. He currently writes for his local publication, the Daily News-Record, in Harrisonburg, VA, where he covers a variety of sports at the high school and collegiate level.

John has been a lifelong NASCAR fan and has followed the sport closely since 2005. He stays informed on motorsports developments through social media, NASCAR.com, and NASCAR podcasts, which help him craft unique and engaging stories. Interviewing Hendrick Motorsports Vice Chairman Jeff Gordon at Martinsville Speedway was a career highlight for John, where he wrote about William Byron taking the famed No. 24 car back to the Championship 4.

Beyond motorsports, John enjoys writing about other sports such as football, baseball, and basketball. He believes that NASCAR could reach the global popularity of Formula 1 by expanding its audience with more international races and enhancing its mainstream appeal, just like F1 has done.

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Edited by Luke Koshi