“It’s so NASCAR”: Denny Hamlin and crew chief share a laugh following pace car blunder at Phoenix

NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin and his crew chief Chris Gabehart shared a comical moment on the team radio after the safety car failed to make a safe exit onto the pit road from the track.

Denny Hamlin pilots the #11 Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing, competing full-time in the Cup Series. Throughout his career, Hamlin has secured 74 race wins across NASCAR's top three divisions, with 54 of those in the Cup Series.

During the lap 69 restart before Stage 2, racecars formed up behind the pace car as they exited the pit road. However, the pace car unexpectedly missed its exit to the pit road, narrowly avoiding contact with HMS driver Chase Elliott before colliding with the water barriers at the pit entry. This unusual mishap led to a lighthearted exchange between Denny Hamlin and his crew chief Chris Gabehart on the team radio, who found humor in the odd occurrence on track (via X, formerly Twitter).

"Just when you thought you'd seen it all" Gabehart said

"F*cking NASCAR, I mean, it's so NASCAR" Hamlin responded

Denny Hamlin's playoff journey ended at Martinsville Speedway, where the #11 driver was in a must-win situation. Despite not making it to the Championship 4, Hamlin has had a good run in the 2024 Cup Series campaign. In 36 race starts, Hamlin secured 3 race wins, 4 pole positions, and 12 top-five finishes.

Meanwhile, global logistics giant FedEx Corp, who was Joe Gibbs Racing's long-time sponsor for Denny Hamlin, recently announced that they would be parting ways with the JGR driver, reportedly in an attempt to achieve their cost-cutting goals.

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"Such a great relationship": Denny Hamlin opens up about long relationship with FedEx amid their exit from NASCAR

Three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin recently shed light on his relationship with long-time sponsor FedEx, following the announcement of their parting ways with NASCAR.

In an interview with Fox Sports Bob Pockrass at Phoenix Raceway, Hamlin expressed his feeling of contentment with the sponsor throughout his senior NASCAR career (via Bob Pockrass on X).

"Such a great relationship and obviously, you know. You say at the very beginning, 'would you take a 19 years in a row?' With the presence they've had, absolutely. And so they've been part of my racing career, the whole thing in Cup, and so I'm really happy to be able to represent them and all their boys."

On being asked whether Hamlin is confident about bringing in sponsorship for this car moving forward, the Florida native said:

“It's a work in progress. I mean...we've got some good talks going on, but we'll see what goes on next year. Obviously, we've got some great partners that have been with the team for quite some time now.”

Hamlin's run with FedEx is the longest driver-sponsor partnership currently in NASCAR. Of his 54 victories in the Cup Series, 47 have been secured in the FedEx livery, solidifying the significance of this sponsorship on Hamlin's career.