Denny Hamlin’s crew chief was on the brink of leaving JGR and accepting a job offer with a different team before replacing Chris Gabehart

Denny Hamlin’s crew chief, Chris Gayle, spoke about nearly joining another team before taking his current position at Joe Gibbs Racing. Gayle said the opportunity to lead the #11 team convinced him to stay despite having another offer on the table.

Gayle became the Hamlin's crew chief after Chris Gabehart, the #11 shot caller for six seasons (2019-2024), moved to the competition director role. Under the previous leadership, the veteran NASCAR driver won 22 races, including 13 victories in the first two seasons.

With Chris Gayle now atop the pit box, Denny Hamlin is arguably having one of the strongest seasons of his career, collecting six victories, the most of any driver on the current grid. His momentum continued with a historic win in the Round of 8 opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, securing his spot in the Championship 4.

In an X post, NASCAR insider Toby Christie reported on the opportunity Gayle passed up to stay with JGR.

“Chris Gayle says that he had another offer for a crew chief spot outside of Joe Gibbs Racing, and had he not been moved to the #11 car after Chris Gabehart was moved to competition director, he was likely taking the other job,” Christie wrote.

Before becoming Denny Hamlin's crew chief, Chris Gayle started as an engineer at Joe Gibbs Racing in 2003. He moved to the crew chief role in the team's Xfinity Series program ten years later and notably won the championship with Ty Gibbs in 2022.

The crew chief change on the #11 team last year came as a surprise, even to Hamlin himself. But the now 44-year-old driver understood that the decision was made to improve the team’s overall performance.

The #11 crew will return to action at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, but with their Championship 4 spot already secured, there won’t be much pressure heading into the weekend. Hamlin will be joined in the title round by teammate Chase Briscoe, who recently clinched his berth with a win at Talladega Superspeedway.

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NASCAR insider favors Christopher Bell over Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe in possible championship fight

NASCAR insider Jeff Gluck argued that Christopher Bell would win over his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe in a battle for the championship. That is, if Bell could secure a Championship 4 ticket at Martinsville Speedway this weekend.

Speaking with Jordan Bianchi on The Teardown podcast, Gluck said:

“If Bell makes it, I think Bell becomes a favorite of the JGR drivers.”

Gluck also explained the threat from other teams, especially if one of the Team Penske drivers (Joey Logano or Ryan Blaney) makes the final four, considering the Ford-affiliated team has won the season finale at Phoenix Raceway in the past three years.

“If a Team Pensky car is in, they're the favorite for Phoenix. If it's like Larson or Byron or Elliot, I have to put the Hendrick Car fourth and JGR above them [...] Not saying they couldn't do it because execution-wise, I think Hendrick always finds a way,” Gluck added.

He concluded by saying:

“But speed-wise, you're going to think, ‘Okay, JGR maybe has the edge there.’ But, if Bell makes it, I think I have to put Bell over Briscoe and Hamlin.”

Chase Briscoe (19), Christopher Bell (20), and Denny Hamlin (11) - Source: Imagn

Christopher Bell is currently third in the playoff standings with 37 points, one point ahead of Kyle Larson. The drivers below the cutline who will enter the penultimate race in a must-win situation are William Byron, Joey Logano (defending champion), Ryan Blaney, and Chase Elliott.

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Edited by Zarec Sanchez