Denny Hamlin’s crew chief, Chris Gabehart, delivered a pointed message following the team’s struggles at Watkins Glen, expressing unwavering confidence in his driver
The past two weeks have been tough for the No. 11 team, which previously looked like one of the strongest in the Cup Series during the regular season.
After being hit with a major points penalty for reasons beyond their control, Hamlin finished 24th at Atlanta and 23rd at Watkins Glen. Now, the team is six points below the cutoff for the Round of 12 heading into Bristol.
However, Gabehart isn’t overly concerned about the deficit. He pointed out Hamlin’s stellar record at Bristol, where he’s won the last two races. As the Watkins Glen race concluded, Gabehart reminded Hamlin of their dominance at the Tennessee track.
“We’re going to our house,” Gabehart confidently told Hamlin, via NBC Sports. “We’re only six points behind, and Bristol is our house.”
Given Hamlin’s success at Bristol, it’s hard to argue with Gabehart’s optimism. Bristol presents the ideal stage for Hamlin to demonstrate why he’s one of NASCAR’s top drivers. Nevertheless, the No. 11 team still faces the risk of not advancing to the Round of 12, a surprising prospect for a driver of Hamlin’s caliber.
Despite his underwhelming finishes in the first two races of the Round of 16, Hamlin remains confident. “It’s not over yet,” he said. “It’s not over until the end of Bristol.”
If Hamlin’s history at Bristol is any indication, he’s likely to have a strong showing. Still, unexpected challenges can arise, as Hamlin explained after another frustrating race at Watkins Glen.
“It’s just been a rough stretch,” Hamlin said after his 23rd-place finish, his eighth finish of 23rd or worse in the last 13 races. “I made a mistake in qualifying that put us in a bad position. We ended up right in the middle of the crashes, so I can’t complain when I get caught up in them.”
Despite recent setbacks, Hamlin and Gabehart have been one of NASCAR’s top driver-crew chief duos in recent seasons. Bristol offers the perfect opportunity for the Joe Gibbs Racing team to bounce back, and they’ll need to make the most of it before the Round of 16 wraps up in Tennessee.
