Denny Hamlin expressed shock at Joe Gibbs Racing's unexpected crew chief change for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. The announcement came shortly after the Phoenix Raceway finale, with Chris Gabehart being promoted to competition director and Chris Gayle taking over as Hamlin's new crew chief.

The decision aims to improve overall team performance, particularly for the No. 54 team. JGR's 2024 season saw only six victories, split between Hamlin and Christopher Bell with three wins each, while Ty Gibbs remained winless in his second Cup Series season.

Hamlin and Gabehart's successful six-year partnership yielded 22 wins, including two Daytona 500 victories and a Southern 500 triumph. The duo made three consecutive Championship 4 appearances from 2019-2021 and consistently finished in the top five in points, except for 2024's eighth-place result.

Gayle, who joins from the No. 54 team, has previous experience with Hamlin in the Xfinity Series, where they secured one victory in eight races between 2015 and 2021. Despite limited direct interaction, Gayle's 20-year tenure at JGR speaks to the organization's confidence in his abilities.

This marks Hamlin's sixth crew chief in his 20-year career, with the veteran driver having achieved victories with all previous leaders. Motivated by the change, Hamlin drew a parallel to the Brady-Belichick split, expressing his desire to prove his individual capabilities in this new chapter.

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