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Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin has outlined the significance of the relationship with his long-serving crew chief, Chris Gabehart.
Hamlin entered the realm of NASCAR in 2005, fielding the high-octane car for Joe Gibbs Racing. Since his debut, the 43-year-old hasn't parted ways with the team and has amassed 52 victories, with the latest coming at the 2024 Food City 500 held at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Denny Hamlin has worked with several crew chiefs during his Cup Series stint over the years. Currently, the Florida native's runs are guided by Chris Gabehart, who joined forces with JGR in the 2019 season. Since then, the duo has raked in several triumphs from which few stand out; The two Daytona 500 victories (2019 and 2020) and the 2022 Coca-Cola 600 win.
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Hamlin and Gabehart have spent five seasons together and are running in their sixth season as a team. During a talk with former NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick, the JGR driver detailed the dynamics with his crew chief by using NFL jargon, saying (via Fox on X) [1:03]:
"I don't think there's any secret that Chris has rejuvenated my career," said Hamlin as Gabehart helped him end his 2018 winless streak. "I think he's just the guy who has really pushed me to get better. But I think of him like a head coach, I'm the quarterback, he's the head coach. That is my job, to run whatever play he tells me."
Denny Hamlin's co-owned NASCAR venture witnesses a long-serving sponsor's exit
Co-owned by Basketball legend Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, the 23XI Racing boasts several sponsors on their Cup Series cars, fielded by Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick. The Alabama driver left Richard Petty Motorsports' stable to join the North Carolina-based outfit in 2021.
Not only did Wallace switch the teams, but also brought a few of his sponsors at RPM to 23XI Racing. This includes McDonald's, DoorDash, Columbia Sportswear Co., and many more. However, the online food ordering platform among those sponsors, DoorDash, has reportedly cut its ties with the team and NASCAR as well.
The news was brought to light by motorsports journalist Adam Stern on his X (formerly Twitter) account:
"@DoorDash has ended its sponsorship deals with @NASCAR and @23XIRacing, person familiar with the matter confirms."
