[autotag]Joe Gibbs Racing[/autotag] shocked the NASCAR world ahead of the sport’s banquet in Charlotte, North Carolina. On Friday morning, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that [autotag]Chris Gabehart[/autotag], the crew chief for [autotag]Denny Hamlin[/autotag] and the No. 11 team, was promoted to Competition Director. In Gabehart’s place, [autotag]Chris Gayle[/autotag], the crew chief for Ty Gibbs and the No. 54 team, will take over.
This was a shocking move, as Hamlin and Gabehart have been together since 2019. In those six years, the duo won 22 races and led 5,812 laps, making them one of the best driver-crew chief combinations over the last decade. Hamlin will now be paired with Gayle, who has two wins in 214 NASCAR Cup Series starts with Joe Gibbs Racing.
🚨 NEWS 🚨
Joe Gibbs Racing has promoted Chris Gabehart to Competition Director.
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Chris Gayle will become crew chief for @dennyhamlin and the 11 team.
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Crew Chief for the 54 team will be announced at a later date. pic.twitter.com/iooRWcmzJb— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) November 22, 2024
Gayle has worked eight NASCAR Xfinity Series races with Denny Hamlin, which resulted in one victory in 2016. Gibbs’ crew chief for the No. 54 car has not been determined for the 2025 NASCAR season. Joe Gibbs Racing has made major changes to Hamlin’s No. 11 team, and the 44-year-old driver hopes this doesn’t mark the end of just one era.
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