There is an alternate universe in which Chris Gayle is not set to race for a championship with Denny Hamlin by the end of the month at Phoenix Raceway.
In fact, within this alternate universe, Gayle isn’t with Joe Gibbs Racing whatsoever.
This is the scenario recounted on Sunday when Gayle, Hamlin and Gibbs all reflected on the organizational shift that led to the current driver-crew chief pairing on the JGR No. 11 team. It all began with Chris Gabehart getting a promotion from the Hamlin pit box to the competition director role and the dominoes that followed.
“At the time, I mean, Joe gave me essentially 24 hours to say yes or no to it, because Chris had another opportunity with another team in Cup,” Hamlin said on Sunday night after his 60th career victory at Las Vegas. “That was his option. He had an offer. He didn’t want to get drug around.”
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Photo by: Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Hamlin had reservations, especially at 44 years old, starting over with a crew chief that had only won two Cup races at nearly 200 starts with Joe Gibbs Racing but also had a great deal of Xfinity Series results.
“I mean, I was worried,” Hamlin said. “Chris Gayle’s résumé was not mind-blowing by any stretch of the imagination. He also had a lot of young guys that he had to work with.”
He had worked with Erik Jones and Ty Gibbs before Hamlin.
“So, I just told Joe essentially, ‘Do whatever you think is best. I trusted you in the past when we’ve made these kind of decisions (and) I’ll trust you again.’
“I was worried. When I had those interviews that I talked about him and my apprehension, one of the first conversations I had with him, ‘I don’t want you to take that personally, but this caught me off guard. I didn’t know I was going to be in this position just a week ago.’”
Gibbs recognized that it took time.
“That was kind of a tough time there,” he said. “Denny worked through it with us. Chris did, too. Chris had opportunities there, and he chose to stay with us. We really appreciate that.”
With six wins and counting, it could not have gone better.
Gayle inherited the entire team that Gabehart and Hamlin put together but adopted the No. 11’s processes and procedures and only introduced what he was doing with the No. 54 team where it felt appropriate and deeper into the season.
It was a seamless transition for Hamlin.
“I really appreciate his leadership,” Hamlin said. “He pushes me as hard as Gabehart did. I made it very, very clear to him that regardless of my accolades or his, he is the leader, and I will respect whatever he tells me to do.”
Hamlin went on to talk about how it is important that the driver allows the crew chief to have the ultimate authority over the team.
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Photo by: Chris Graythen – Getty Images
“I wanted to make it very clear to him that he has my respect, he has my confidence, and do what you see is fit,” Hamlin said. “Do not be afraid to tell me when you think I need to be fixing something or doing something. I can understand why it would be intimidating for someone like him. Me and Gabehart had a lot of success. Was nervous whether he was going to get the same out of me that those guys did.
“I can confidently say that Gibbs made the right decision in choosing him, giving him the opportunity with me. I think it’s a very good mix of our thoughts. That’s why I think we’ve gotten better as a team, as a whole, is it’s sometimes a fresh, new perspective and ideas can teach you something. I think he has.”
Now they have an extra week to prepare for a championship race that has eluded the driver for over a decade and even further dating back to the Chase for the Championship.
“What will I tell him,” Gayle asked rhetorically. “We’re going to do everything we can, leave it there in Phoenix. Whatever happens, happens. Then we’re going to do everything on the frontside to get ready. I don’t know that I have the magic formula related to that, other than bring the fastest car I can, which is how I’ve approached all year.”
Gayle said they haven’t talked about the championship all year but rather, with this format, race wins because that’s the key to getting where they want to be at the end of the season.
“Obviously you elevate your mind and what you think you can accomplish as you go further along into the year,” Gayle said. “We’ve had such a good year, we feel like we should be a frontrunner for the championship.
“I don’t think it’s going to change what we do. We’re going to take it a week at a time and a few weeks ahead on Phoenix, and that’s about it.”
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