Denny Hamlin’s former ally affirms “huge hand” in JGR star’s Martinsville victory

Modified Apr 03, 2025 15:54 GMT

Denny Hamlin and former crew chief - NASCAR: M&Ms Fan Appreciation 400 - Source: Imagn

Denny Hamlin's former crew chief, Chris Gabehart, expressed his emotions after witnessing the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota celebrating in the victory lane at Martinsville. The current Director of Competition for the Joe Gibbs outfit addressed the significant aspects of watching Hamlin's team succeed after an expected shakeup in the Huntersville, North Carolina-based organization.

After serving as Hamlin's crew chief for six years, Gabehart moved to an executive role within the Toyota roster. The duo managed three Daytona 500 wins and 22 Cup race triumphs, but the coveted championship title eluded the 44-year-old veteran driver. Nevertheless, Hamlin has continued making strides even after parting ways with Gabehart, about which the latter openly showed appreciation.

Speaking with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Gabehart reflected on watching Hamlin celebrate his 55th Cup career win from the sidelines and said:

"This one was, for a number of reasons, my most significant or the one that sticks with me the most, I'll say. One is it's the 11 car, to your point, and I take a ton of pride in it. I was so happy to see that group succeed. I have a ton of pride in watching them succeed without me and doing it the way they did."

Denny Hamlin's former ally also highlighted the "naysayers" about the decision to part ways with the JGR star and reaffirmed it to be a "healthy" decision as it brings ideas to the table.

"I constantly told all of them over the off-season, if you do it this way and if you buy into it, it will be just as strong, if not stronger, because new ideas come to the table and that's healthy."

Moreover, Gabehart explained how Denny Hamlin's sixth Martinsville win that ended his decade-long drought was another significant part and how the new pairing of the No. 11 driver with Chris Gayle managed to achieve it. He continued:

"Secondly, for me, Martinsville was a huge bucket list win for me that I never got to achieve as a crew chief with Denny. We won so many laps and won so many stages and so many top fives, just never could get the win. To see it all come together without me on the box was definitely, deep down, sure, would I have loved to have won as a crew chief, absolutely, but I had a huge hand in that and I know it and it was just awesome to see all those guys get to celebrate that."

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A brief look at Denny Hamlin's 2025 NASCAR season

Denny Hamlin has been a part of the NASCAR Cup Series for almost two decades and has been with the NASCAR Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs' team since his debut race in 2005. While being one of the winningest active Cup drivers, the coveted championship title eluded the sport's veteran.

NASCAR: NASCAR Cup Series Race at Martinsville - Source: Imagn

The Martinsville victory proved to be Denny Hamlin's high point as the No. 11 driver finished his seventh NASCAR Cup race of the 2025 season. The JGR driver has finished in the top five three times and in the top ten once in his past seven appearances. Additionally, he has already punched his ticket for the 2025 playoff run, making him the second JGR driver to do so. Denny Hamlin is currently placed sixth in the overall Cup Series standings with 218 points.

Meanwhile, NASCAR will return to the Darlington Raceway on Sunday, April 6 for the Goodyear 400 event.

About the author

Sashwat is part of Sportskeeda’s NASCAR division and frequently covers various events from each race during the season. A Mass Communication and Journalism graduate, he has been interested in the intersection point of sports and writing and has found that opportunity in motorsports journalism.

Sashwat is a firm believer in being true to what he covers and tries to pick up as much information as possible from races as they happen, helping him get the first jump on in-race incidents. His favorite driver is Kyle Larson, as he is intrigued by his dynamicity and diversity as a driver.

Sashwat wants to see NASCAR travel around the world, adding a global element to the Cup Series, and believes this could help the sport bridge the popularity gap to F1.

When he isn’t working, Sashwat follows football and tennis, supporting Real Madrid and Novak Djokovic, respectively. He is also interested in the creativity that comes with film-making.

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Edited by Sumeet Kavthale