Joe Gibbs makes feelings clear about JGR’s Phoenix ‘heartbreak’

Joe Gibbs was left with the sting of disappointment after Denny Hamlin's loss at Phoenix Raceway. The team owner addressed the situation in an interview with NASCAR reporter Bob Pockrass.

The 319-lap event marked a battle between Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing, and the two teams began on the front row as well. Hamlin led the most laps during Sunday's championship race, but William Byron's late-race wreck played spoilsport for his title chances.

Kyle Larson's two-tire pit strategy worked in his favour, while Hamlin was left behind after replacing all four corners. By race's end, the No.11 driver couldn't make up lost ground and ended up sixth, three spots behind Larson.

Notably, this was Hamlin's first final four appearance in the Next Gen Era, and he was vying for his maiden title after 20 years in the Cup Series. Reflecting upon the outcome, Joe Gibbs said,

"We really did this. It's a heartbreak for everybody here, so I don't think there's much else you can say about it."

JGR's Chase Briscoe finished further behind at 18th. He began outside the top-10 and finished as high as seventh by Stage 2, but a cut tire ruined his chances as well. Meanwhile, Team Penske's Ryan Blaney finished on top with a narrow margin of 0.097 seconds.

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Joe Gibbs shares gratitude for Denny Hamlin after title loss

Joe Gibbs approached an unconsolable Denny Hamlin and offered some words of comfort. The interaction was captured as the two met on pit road after Sunday's race.

“I’m proud of ya…thank you. Thank you for the years,” Joe Gibbs said via X/Noah Lewis

William Byron, on his part, shared his regret for causing the overtime restart.

"I’m just super bummed that it was a caution obviously. I hate that. Hate it for Denny. I hate it for the 11 team. I’m happy for Kyle, for Mr. Hendrick, they deserve it. Yeah, it stinks, right?....I mean, Denny was on his way to it. I hate that. There’s a lot of respect there. I obviously do not want to cause a caution. If I had known what tire it was, known that a tire was going down before I got to the corner, I would have done something different. Yeah, you just feel like a passenger. It sucks,” Byron said via NBC Sports

The HMS driver went as far as personally apologising to Hamlin for the late-race incident. Hamlin has finished the season as the most winningest driver. With 60 wins to his name, the veteran driver also entered the top-10 all-time wins list.

Across 35 starts, Hamlin records an average finish of 13.9 after 18-top-10s, 14 top-5s and five poles. He's also one of three drivers to have crossed 1000 laps in the lead.

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Edited by Vignesh Kanna