Joe Gibbs Racing chief warns NASCAR drivers 'playing nice' will harm team's success

Joe Gibbs Racing faces a pivotal decision in its 2025 NASCAR season after that Denny Hamlin vs Ty Gibbs beef at New Hampshire last weekend.

As the playoffs head to Kansas for Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 (3pm ET, USA network), the brass at JGR must broker a way forward after those angry scenes just a few days ago.

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The big flashpoint came 110 laps into the Mobil 1 301, when Hamlin - who is very much in the hunt for that elusive championship - wrecked teammate Gibbs.

Denny’s action - which was ‘intentional’ per former Cup Series king Kevin Harvick - came after he became frustrated at Ty (who is not in the postseason) racing him hard over a sustained period of time.

The fallout since has been significant, with Denny saying he felt “wronged” by the incident and Ty (grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs) appearing to double down on his own position.

Gibbs Sr said he hoped that the drivers would handle finding a way forward, but that appeared at the time to be very wishful thinking.

JGR facing big decision on teammate battles

One man likely to be at the center of discussion at chez JGR this week is the team’s competition director Chris Gabehart. He hinted at the way he was leaning when he spoke to reporters post-New Hampshire.

Gabehart clearly believes there is a danger of imposing too many orders on drivers, and indirectly hurting their chances to win.

He said: “This is the type of conversation that, when you run well, you’re fortunate to have to have every so often. And we’ll have to have that conversation again.

“But I think there’s a reasonable etiquette to follow where everybody can get what they need out of it.

“But at the same time you can’t create an atmosphere where everybody just has to roll over and play nice all the time either, or you won’t hang as many banners as Joe Gibbs Racing has hung over the years.”

We will get the first clues as to what JGR is planning to do moving forward this weekend when the grid assembles in Kansas. That plan will have major implications for a team which had been dominant in the first stage of the playoffs.

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