Joe Gibbs reshuffle sees Ty Gibbs' crew member become Denny Hamlin's right-hand amid Chris Gabehart's promotion

Denny Hamlin is getting a crew chief for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. On Friday, November 22, Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) announced that Chris Gabehart, Hamlin’s long-time crew chief, has been promoted to Competition Director. Chris Gayle, who previously worked with Ty Gibbs, will now lead Hamlin’s No. 11 team.

Team owner Joe Gibbs said these changes will make the team stronger for 2025. This year, no driver from the team made it to the Championship 4 race for the first time since 2014. The team also failed to win any of the last 18 races in 2024.

Gabehart joined JGR in 2012 and became Hamlin’s crew chief in 2019. They won 23 races, including two Daytona 500s, and reached the Championship 4 thrice over six years together. Gabehart is now excited to help all four JGR teams succeed.

"Cannot say enough about how much I have enjoyed and appreciated my time with Denny Hamlin and the entire 11 team. In my next opportunity, I am as excited as I have ever been to work with all our talented drivers, crew chiefs, teams and partners to help focus all our efforts towards making 2025 one of the best seasons Joe Gibbs Racing has ever had,” Gabehart said.

Gayle, on the other hand, joined the team much earlier in 2003 and has 37 Xfinity Series wins and a championship with Ty Gibbs' No. 54 team in 2022. He worked as a crew chief for Furniture Row Racing in 2017 but came back to JGR in 2018.

"Denny Hamlin is obviously a first-ballot Hall of Famer. I’m looking forward to working with him and the guys on the No. 11 team... 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.

The team will reveal Ty Gibbs’ new crew chief at a later date. JGR's Martin Truex Jr. is also retiring with Chase Briscoe taking over the No. 19 car in 2025.

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Denny Hamlin's 2024 season review

Denny Hamlin ended the 2024 Cup Series in eighth place with three race wins and 18 top-10 finishes. The 44-year-old has 54 career wins but no Cup title in 20 years.

Hamlin's first win this year came at Bristol, despite controversy over tire issues. However, the win proved costly for him as the No. 11 team later faced a penalty after an engine violation and Hamlin lost 75 points in August. He won the two other races at Richmond and Dover.

He was eliminated from the Round of 8 after finishing fifth at Martinsville.