“He’s entitled to it”: Denny Hamlin sends clear message on Ty Gibbs-Brad Keselowski pit crew controversy at Sonoma

Denny Hamlin has delivered a verdict on Ty Gibbs' controversial misstep with Brad Keselowski's pit crew during the Toyota / Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver backed his teammate by calling the incident a matter of 'bad timing.'

During Sunday's race, Ty Gibbs entered the pits and inadvertently clipped a tire held by Keselowski's tire changer. This caused a low stop for the incoming No. 6 driver, leading to a pit road scuffle between crew members of Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing and JGR.

NASCAR officials had to enter the scene and defuse the situation while they cleared Gibbs of any wrongdoing. The JGR driver himself has stated that he had the right of way and followed the rules as such.

During the latest episode of Actions Detrimental, Hamlin threw his support behind Gibbs.

"It's bad timing is the best I can explain it.....they've changed the rule recently over the last year or two to where they don't want these guys jumping off the wall with like that's too much weight, you'll create injuries. So they let them kind of get ready in their pit box," he said. [25:28 onwards]

"Brad's team's trying to get their advantage, which is let me get to the right side as soon as possible, but they're not able to run out there until after the 54 passes, which that definitely does slow them down. So, I didn't see the carrier move from his position, but I think Ty was trying to get the best angle into his box, which he's entitled to, and the contact happened," he added.

Ty Gibbs went on to secure his second straight top-10 finish at Sonoma. He came in at seventh after previously finishing in a career-high second at Chicago. Keselowski, meanwhile, finished one spot shy of the top 10.

---

RFK Racing calls out Ty Gibbs' pit road mishap

RFK Racing didn't hold back in their response to Ty Gibbs' errant driving at Sonoma. The team posted a short clip capturing an overhead angle of the JGR driver's pit entry, where he's seen driving outside the orange lines meant to guide cars safely into their pit boxes.

The X post was accompanied with a caption that read:

"You be the judge."

After Sonoma, Ty Gibbs gained two spots in the driver's standings to land at 17th, showing signs of progress after a lackluster start to the season. However, his ranking is a far cry from his teammates Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, and Chase Briscoe, who have all found themselves among the top 10, along with a spot in the playoffs.

To make matters worse, Gibbs has qualified outside the top 10 only twice in the last 12 rounds but has seemingly lost ground in most of those starts, managing only four top 10s.