Kevin Harvick sees Denny Hamlin’s ex-crew chief presence as JGR’s missing puzzle piece for Ty Gibbs’ ‘young team’

Kevin Harvick has shared his perspective on the new addition to Ty Gibbs' Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) No. 54 team. JGR deployed former Denny Hamlin's former crew chief Chris Gabehart (now JGR Competition Director), as an additional strategist for the No. 54 team last weekend. Gabehart had an impressive six-year run with Hamlin where he helped with 22 Cup wins.

Gibbs, after a series of finishes outside the top 20, has bounced back and finished inside the Top 20 in the last four weeks since a podium finish at Michigan. Speaking on his Happy Hour podcast, Harvick applauded Gibbs and his rising consistency.

"Ty's improved a lot over the last two or three months, right? I think that they've had the speed to be able to win races. I think that just getting all the eyes dotted and the tees crossed to be able to finish that off and actually get to victory lane is what they're working on," Kevin Harvick said (24:51 onwards).

He further pointed out that adding Gabehart’s experience will fill the final gap to win after the regained speed of the No. 54 team.

"I think Joe Gibbs Racing is just looking for that last little crumb to now they've got the 54 performance back where everybody expects it to be. Now, what's that last piece of the puzzle to push it over the edge? And I think having Chris Gabehart there helping make decisions is gonna put it in a position that brings a lot of experience to a very young team," Harvick added.

JGR has three teams, Denny Hamlin (No. 11), Christopher Bell (No. 20) and Chase Briscoe (No. 19) already qualified for the Cup playoffs. However, Gibbs stands 24th in the NASCAR Cup points standings with only two top‑five finishes. Only a win can realistically secure a spot in the playoffs for the 22‑year‑old.

"He’s been really helpful" - Ty Gibbs on Chris Gabehart

Ty Gibbs led 32 laps before finishing 14th at the EcoPark Speedway last weekend (June 28). During a post‑race interview, he commended Chris Gabehart, who jumped on the team radio during the Atlanta race.

"It’s really helpful. He’s been really helpful, the whole team is, and Tyler has done a great job as well. So, I have a fun team and we’re just taking it as we get it," Ty Gibbs said (via Racer).

The NASCAR Cup Series will head to the Chicago street race this Sunday (July 6). Ty Gibbs has shown solid aptitude on road courses. He earned a top-10 finish in the inaugural 2023 Chicago race.

Last season, he qualified just 0.01 seconds behind Kyle Larson for the pole, led a race-high 17 laps and secured a podium result.