During Sunday’s NASCAR race at Loudon, Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs were involved in a collision, which ended Gibbs’ day. Hamlin was extremely upset with the way his non-playoff competing teammate was racing him.
Hamlin was being raced hard by Gibbs for multiple laps, building up frustration as the driver of the 11 was competing for playoff points. The battle got to a point of no return when Gibbs was seen spinning into the wall as Hamlin drove off. Replays confirmed suspicions, the boss’s grandson had been wrecked by his own teammate.
Gibbs attempted to return to the race after lengthy repairs, but the efforts were wasted. The 54 had a tire go down later in the race due to damage from the earlier incident, which led to his retirement from the race. He finished 35th, 167 laps down, while Hamlin went on to finish 12th.
Gibbs had the first opportunity to express his feelings after the contact, as he was interviewed after his retirement. He kept things short and sweet, answering both questions asked with a simple “excited for next week”. The intent of this comment is unknown; it could be innocent, or it could be a hint at revenge.
Hamlin followed up on his radio after the wreck. “Does Ty know we’re racing for a championship? What the F—?”. The frustration was evident, and the driver of the 11 did not stop there. After the race, Hamlin said, “It’s super unfortunate he got spun there, and obviously the contact came from us, but yeah, I don’t have any comment other than that”.
Joe Gibbs himself chimed in as reporters were digging for as much information as they could get post-race. His response was much more straightforward, simply stating, “It’s always the drivers that have to handle that”. The boss did not seem too upset with the actions of his NASCAR drivers, but he was spotted having a discussion with Hamlin after the race.
Gibbs and Hamlin will be a story to watch throughout the remainder of the NASCAR playoffs. One driver is competing for a championship to solidify his incredible driving legacy, while the other potentially seeks revenge on his own teammate.
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