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23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin will be heading to Charlotte next weekend with interim crew chief engineer Sam McAulay. The decision to have an interim crew chief was reached after the suspension of his long-time crew chief Chris Gabehart.
At the time, Gabehart was given a four-week suspension after the No.11 lost his left front wheel at the exit of the pit road at Monster Mile on May 1, 2022, during the Duramax Drydene 400. However, Hamlin’s team went on to appeal the suspension, and he was retained for both the Darlington and the Kansas events.
After the recently concluded Kansas race, the suspension was upheld and JBR didn’t file for a final appeal. Chris Gabehart has been suspended for the next four races between Charlotte and Nashville. However, he will be on the pit crew at this weekend’s race at Texas Motor Speedway for the 2022 Texas All-Star Race.
While breaking the news to NASCAR fans, Bob Pockrass posted a clip on his Twitter account where Hamlin was giving his thoughts on the interim crew chief. In his Twitter caption, Pockrass also quoted Hamlin’s views, stating:
“Denny Hamlin will have engineer Sam McAulay as his interim crew chief for four weeks starting next week at Charlotte. Hamlin: ‘I don’t see it being a huge issue. ... The biggest challenge will probably be losing the pit-crew members’”
According to the 41-year-old, having an interim crew chief is not a big issue, but losing the crew members is one of his biggest worries. Hamlin, along with his crew members, has tasted both sides of the race. They have celebrated and tasted the bitter part of racing, recording several DFNs this season.
Denny Hamlin excited about the race at Kansas Speedway after a top-five finish and winning 23XI team
Last weekend in Kansas, Denny Hamlin ended the weekend as a thrilled owner and driver. His driver Kurt Busch, who was driving the No.45 Toyota Camry, carried the checkered flag, adding 23XI to the list of winning teams this season.
Hamlin, who was driving his Toyota Camry No.11, went on to collect his second top-five finish of the season, taking P4 at the end. His co-owned team sealed the deal for Hamlin with a 10th-place finish.
