Denny Hamlin has raced his whole NASCAR Cup Series career for Joe Gibbs Racing. However, his actions during the playoff race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway certainly have him in hot water. Could his wrecking of teammate Ty Gibbs spoil another championship shot?
We're talking about a driver who is now sitting on 59 career wins, getting into a dustup with Gibbs, who famously won the In-Season Challenge earlier this season. The biggest issue from their run-in is by far the fact that Ty is team owner Joe Gibbs' grandson.
Wrecking a teammate is never a good thing, let alone someone who is related to your team owner. Hamlin has a lot on his plate with his own team in the midst of an ongoing legal battle with NASCAR, and he really doesn't need to have intrateam issues with his own car owner, team, and teammate as he continues to pursue his first Cup Series championship.
Yearly slip-up for Denny Hamlin might have just happened
Hamlin has been one of the favorites to win the NASCAR Cup Series championship for the better part of the past decade. Each and every year, he showcases his skills throughout the season, winning two or more races in seven consecutive seasons. On three occasions, he has reached the Championship 4 during that run.
Yet for one reason or another, he's fallen short of the ultimate prize and goal. Sometimes it's been of his own accord, and other times there has just been someone better. Look back to 2010, when he finished second to Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson, or to 2019, when his crew put a very large piece of tape on the grill, causing the No. 11 Toyota to overheat after he had led laps earlier.
Why they did that still remains a mystery to this day.
The most recent incident certainly seems like it could be the point where Hamlin once again sees a shot at a championship start to slip away. There are still plenty of races left, but Ty certainly didn't seem like he was going to just move out of Denny's way moving forward.
After leaving the infield care center, Gibbs spoke with Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass. He didn't say much, to Pockrass or to anybody else, but he certainly implied that he would remember what happened.
Joe Gibbs using football strategy to solve issues
As for where the boss stands on what happened in Loudon, he appears to be going back to his NFL roots. According to Coach Gibbs, the drivers have to work out their differences. More or less, it appears he's not going to step in.
I suppose they are both adults, so they have to settle their disagreement, but this is Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs. Hamlin's going to say what he's going to say and not hold back. As for Ty, history shows he's not against returning the favor.
Is Hamlin's future in question with Joe Gibbs Racing?
Hamlin clearly has a lot on his plate, co-owning a Cup team while racing for a whole different organization. Some will bring up that Dale Earnhardt did the same, but that was in a whole different era. The sport has become a lot more chaotic, for lack of a better term.
23XI Racing's own future is in question with everything going on away from the track. Hamlin has made it clear that he's getting closer to the end of his driving career. But what if this incident with Ty were to force Joe Gibbs Racing to shock the world and push Hamlin away sooner?
I'm not saying it will, but in today's NASCAR, you never know. Contract-wise, he's set to drive the No. 11 Toyota until 2027, but depending on what happens with the lawsuit, you'd have to think driving for his own team could become a real possibility. It's all speculation, but this whole situation during Sunday's race certainly isn't the type of drama Hamlin needs while fighting to win a championship.