Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs and Denny Hamlin clashed aggressively at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway last weekend, which caused Gibbs to get knocked out of the NASCAR Cup Series race. However, he has come under fire from The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi, who stated that Gibbs placed personal interest over team interest.
Both drivers clashed for 10 laps for the eleventh spot. While the race result did not matter for Gibbs, who is not contending for the title, it did matter for Hamlin, who has been racing hard in the playoffs in an attempt to secure a championship.
Things got worse between the two drivers when Hamlin tried to pass through a gap that wasn’t wide enough, breaking the toe link on Gibbs’ car in the process. Bianchi questioned Gibbs’ intention behind his aggressive actions, stressing that they were completely unwarranted. Speaking on The Teardown podcast, he said:
“I don’t think it’s something that lingers because I think you nip this in the bud, and I don’t think Ty Gibbs is gonna go out and look for retribution these next few weeks. But I think when you step back and look at it from a 30,000-foot perspective, this is emblematic of the issues in Joe Gibbs Racing and particularly, the issues with the 54 team and its driver.
Ty Gibbs, driver of the #54 Monster Energy Toyota, is towed after an on-track incident as Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Toyota, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series Mobil 1 301 at New…
Ty Gibbs, driver of the #54 Monster Energy Toyota, is towed after an on-track incident as Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Toyota, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 21, 2025 in Loudon, New Hampshire.
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“There have been instances — and you can go back to the Xfinity Series race a few years ago at Martinsville — where Ty Gibbs has put himself before the team. He crashes his teammate Brandon Jones to win that race when he didn’t need to do it and if Jones wins that race, he’s racing for a championship.”
He added:
“In this instance, I get it. You’re racing hard but it’s 11th, 12th, 15th-place, whatever it is and in the grand scheme of things, that one or two spots means nothing to Ty Gibbs. In the grand scheme of things, those spots mean everything to Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin.
“It’s stepping back and saying, ‘I’m going to put the organization first and foremost, especially when I’m not in the playoffs.’ I’m not sitting here and saying you have to roll over for your teammates and you can’t race them hard to a certain level… but in this instance, there’s no good in this.”
Bianchi questioned Gibbs’ maturity, especially since he will be heading his grandfather’s team for many years to come. He said:
“It wasn’t like it just happened in the blink of an eye. If you had been watching this or listening to the radio, there had been frustration brewing on the 11 team of how this was unfolding. It should have been nipped in the bud there.
“To me, this speaks to the greater issues of the driver of the 54 car about maturity, and it’s been a big thing and a big word about him and his growth as a driver and the steps he needs to do to become a better, more well-rounded race car driver.
“To me, this is an instance where if you’re going to be that driver, the leader of a team that can carry this organization forward for the next 20 years, which is what Gibbs wants him to be, then you need to look at the bigger picture and step back and say, ‘These guys are racing for a championship, we’re in Stage 1 or whatever, it was early in the race.
“We don’t need to be doing this, I’m gonna let these guys go and be smart about it.’ … Do I think this is a problem going forward? No, not necessarily in the short-term. But I think big picture, this is something that needs to be addressed and frankly, should have been addressed a long time ago.”