“Does Ty know we're going for a championship?”: Denny Hamlin bamboozled by Ty Gibbs’ strange positioning at NHS

Denny Hamlin blasted Ty Gibbs over racing against him at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, sarcastically questioning whether his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate knows he's competing for a championship. He shortly made contact with Gibbs, causing the #54 Toyota Camry to spin into the wall.

The radio message came on lap 109 as the two JGR drivers battled just outside the top 10. A lap later, Hamlin’s #11 Toyota slid underneath Gibbs in turn one and made contact, bringing out a caution, though the #54 driver managed to continue in the race.

The Mobil 1 301 marked the opening race of the Round of 12, making it vital for playoff contenders like Hamlin to secure strong finishes and build momentum toward advancing. Gibbs, meanwhile, is the sole JGR driver not competing in the postseason.

NASCAR reporter Jeff Gluck reported the radio message from the #11 team on X and wrote:

“Denny Hamlin frustrated with Ty Gibbs: ‘Does Ty know we're going for a championship? What the f*ck?’”

Jeff Gluck

@jeff_gluck

Denny Hamlin frustrated with Ty Gibbs: "Does Ty know we're going for a championship? What the f*ck?"

Denny Hamlin entered the race as the leader in the playoff standings with a 26-point cushion above the cutline, followed by Hendrick Motorsports drivers William Byron and Kyle Larson. His JGR teammates, Christopher Bell (+20) and Chase Briscoe (+10), sit in fourth and sixth, respectively.

Ty Gibbs was not far off from making the playoffs on points, but ultimately fell short. He reached the postseason for the first time last year before being eliminated in the Round of 16.

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“The championship is coming from this room”: Denny Hamlin's former crew chief on Joe Gibbs Racing winning the championship

Denny Hamlin’s former crew chief, Chris Gabehart—now serving as Joe Gibbs Racing’s director of competition—praised the team’s strong showing in the Round of 16. He believes that one of JGR’s three playoff drivers could win the championship.

Chase Briscoe kicked off the 2025 playoffs with a victory at Darlington Raceway. Hamlin returned to the victory lane in the following race at World Wide Technology Raceway, before Christopher Bell won the Round of 16 finale at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Speaking about their chances for the NASCAR Cup Series championship, Gabehart said (via Joe Gibbs Racing on X):

“I do think the champion is coming from this room. I have no idea what door number it's going to be. I genuinely don't. I think it could be any one of these three door numbers. Be ready for your moment. You could be the difference in that. Never does it say we can't win every race. We've won the first three playoff races. there's seven to go; let's win them all.”

Denny Hamlin drives the #11 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing - Source: Imagn

Hamlin remains one of the most accomplished active drivers yet to win a championship. With 59 career victories, he ranks second among active Cup Series winners, trailing only Kyle Busch, and is the second-longest tenured driver in the field.

The 44-year-old shares an infamous feat with Junior Johnson as one of only two drivers to win more than 50 races without capturing a title. Perhaps his closest call came in 2010, when he entered the Homestead-Miami finale with a 15-point lead, only to see Jimmie Johnson rally to claim his fifth consecutive championship.