The 2025 Cup Series final shattered the dreams that Denny Hamlin had been building for twenty years. A poor tire strategy towards the end of the race prevented him from gaining enough positions to secure his first championship and the person who gave the final order to execute this strategy was his crew chief, Chris Gayle.
Any driver in Hamlin’s position would likely have developed a grudge against Gayle. But he was a complete gentleman and a professional. He revealed in his post-race interview in Las Vegas on Sunday that he hadn’t spoken to Gayle about the decision once since the final. The two of them leave each other alone, and things are still going strong now.
Advertisement
Hamlin said, “I know he felt horrible. It wasn’t his fault. Maybe there was something I could have done. I mean, it was just a moment that he definitely wished he could relive, and I wish I could come back. But yeah, we both experienced it for a while.
“By the time I got back to him, he was definitely in a better situation. And we never talked about it.” THE Joe Gibbs Racing driver added.
Hamlin is someone who likes to separate his professional relationships from his personal relationships. So he really doesn’t mind that he and Gayle maintain boundaries. It was only a few weeks before the start of the current season that they both reconnected and prepared for the challenges that awaited them.
Why Hamlin doesn’t blame Gayle for losing the championship
A warning came very close to the finish during the final in Phoenix and triggered a resumption of overtime. It’s no secret that positions on this track are extremely important, given the difficulty of overtaking there. Teams therefore had to decide whether to stay away or pit. Gayle called into the pits for four new tires on the No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE.
Advertisement
Hamlin also thought it was the right decision. He continues his interview, “When he called it, I looked at the code and said, ‘Okay, that looks good.’ I believed in it too. So I would have been just as guilty. Do you see what I mean? It wasn’t like I was going to say, “Oh, shit, are you sure?” If I had thought it was a bad decision, I would have questioned it.
The assumption they made was that most teams would make a decision similar to theirs. But that’s not what happened. Several drivers, including some championship contenders, chose to stay on the track or change only two tires. This is gone Hamlinfurther behind on the restart order than he had expected. From there, it became impossible for him to gain enough positions before the checkered flag was waved.
Although heartbreaking, Hamlin is clear that he cannot live in a world of ifs and buts. He was off topic, as was Gayle. Their goal is to reach this place again in 2026 and hopefully make the right decision this time.
The position Surprisingly, Denny Hamlin still hasn’t spoken to crew chief Chris Gayle following costly call to Phoenix appeared first on The rush to sport.
