Is Denny Hamlin's confession enough to settle the JGR turf war and keep their title hopes alive?

Denny Hamlin recently admitted he "went a little too far" in a clash with teammate Ty Gibbs at New Hampshire this past weekend. But is this confession sufficient to resolve the internal tensions and fix on-track etiquette within Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) during the NASCAR Cup postseason?

During the Round of 12 opener, Hamlin and Christopher Bell had to fight with Gibbs for 11th place. Hamlin ended up nudging him and the No. 54 Toyota then spun into the outside SAFER barrier. The crash ended Gibbs' day with a DNF.

After the race, Hamlin said Gibbs had been racing him and Bell "too hard" and made a "mistake" on lap 110. He blamed some of the trouble on Gibbs, who is the only team member outside the playoff field, and also asked for clarity from leadership on how teammates should treat one another on track.

During a media session this Saturday, Hamlin revealed that a team meeting had taken place and said that all drivers came up with a plan for the upcoming playoff races. This suggests that the JGR leaders and drivers have reset standards to protect their championship bid.

"Absolutely. I definitely got hot under the collar, and it went too far on my end. There were things I wish I could have done a little bit differently," Denny Hamlin said.

"All the drivers had an opportunity to speak and try to come up with a plan," he added (via Speedway Media).

Chase Briscoe and Christopher Bell also reacted to the meeting and said JGR drivers need to work together more smartly. Briscoe gave Team Penske's example for clean racing.

Meanwhile, Bell, who had earlier agreed that a line had been crossed with the Hamlin-Ty Gibbs incident, said he felt optimistic after the meeting.

However, the details of the meeting are being kept private and it is to be seen if all JGR teammates are on the same page going into the second race of the Round of 12 at Kansas Speedway on Sunday (September 28).

Denny Hamlin hoping for a strong finish at Kansas

Denny Hamlin is 27 points ahead of the cutline before Sunday’s race. The four-time winner at Kansas is hoping for a 'mistake-free' race after a clutch issue ended his day early during the spring race there this season.

"We've been super strong here the last four or five years," Denny Hamlin said.

The 44-year-old also mentioned his multiple pit road and mechanical failures in the previous races at the 1.5-mile oval and said he hopes to avoid more issues.

"I'm just praying for a mistake-free race on my end, and if that's the case, we are going to be in contention like we always are here," he added.

Chase Briscoe and Hamlin qualified in first and second place for the Hollywood Casino 400 in Kansas. Meanwhile, Bell will start in fifth place behind Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott.