For a team that dominated the Round of 16 and looked unbeatable, what happens when a rift appears? That is exactly what the New Hampshire race last weekend tested. Around Lap 110, Denny Hamlin, a championship contender, and Ty Gibbs, out of the playoff hunt, clashed while battling for 11th. Even fellow playoff driver Christopher Bell, chasing critical stage points, was subject to this. Exiting Turn 4, fed up, Hamlin made contact, sending Gibbs spinning into the Turn 1 wall and ending his day. And as no stranger to teammate drama, who better than Brad Keselowski to give his two cents on it?

Right after the race, Hamlin owned the mistake but didn’t hide his irritation, griping that Gibbs was “hard to pass” at a make-or-break moment. Gibbs kept it cool, calling it “unfortunate” and pivoting to next week’s race, but the incident left JGR’s playoff momentum looking shaky. Something similar happened 4 years ago with Brad Keselowski at the Daytona 500 race, and it seems the 2012 NASCAR Cup champion understands the Hamlin-Gibbs fallout better than others.

Speaking on the Stacking Pennies podcast, the 41-year-old provided an outsider perspective as a team owner, bystander, and driver who had been in this position before: “Yeah. I can understand Denny’s frustration. I think he was a little faster than the 54. He’s got a lot on the line… It’s not going to be fun at all for Joe, for Ty, for Denny. I’ve been in some of those meetings where you’re like Christopher Bell and like you’re like sinking in the chair like I don’t want to be here.” 

Joey Logano led the No. 22 Ford past the white flag on the final lap of the 2021 Daytona 500, but the high-speed battle for victory quickly turned ugly. In a dramatic final 2.5 miles, multiple drivers made aggressive moves, resulting in a massive crash that took out the front-runners and handed Michael McDowell his first-ever Daytona 500 and Cup Series win. Then, Penske teammates Logano and Keselowski were at the centre of the wreck, setting off a chain reaction, and according to Logano, the two hadn’t been on talking terms since the incident.

Reflecting on the incident, Brad Keselowski added, “We didn’t really have a big meeting after that… I don’t recall having a meeting at all now that I think of it…I’m sure he and I had a conversation. You know, honestly, in the moment, I thought Joey had wrecked me, and then after I saw the replay, I realized McDowell turned me, and I didn’t feel so bad.”

Per Brad, a massive crash occurred after 15 to 30 minutes of the race, followed immediately by rain and a red flag that postponed the remainder to the next day. The No. 34 car (McDowell) was caught in the wreck, damaging its right side, yet it went on to win the race. During the subsequent pit stops, the right side of the spoiler was adjusted back about 3 inches, transforming the car into a high-speed rocket.

He added, “Well, with all that spoiler damage on the 34 car, like he didn’t become detached. Like his car was just that fast the way it was done… Like I didn’t know that his car was that ,that stupid fast to be able to pull that off. But honestly, at the end of the day, it wasn’t really Joey’s fault or my fault. It was just one of those things that happens.”

The final lap move had been meticulously planned, with a push from Michael intended to set up a side draft under Logano into turn three for the win; however, the nature of the cars at the time meant that push interactions often caused the lead car to pull off, complicating the execution. With things now forgotten between the old teammates, Keselowski sounds off alarms on a more pressing matter the tracks face. However, the RFK Racing driver doesn’t directly blame any of the drivers. To him, it’s just a case of “things just happen.” 

The incident had immediate and dramatic effects: Ty Gibbs ended up crashing out, marking his third race this season where he failed to finish. Denny Hamlin, however, recovered to secure twelfth place and added twenty-eight points to his campaign. Currently, Hamlin holds fifth in the playoff standings, with a relatively safe margin of twenty-seven points above the cutoff line. But as the feud deepens, Dale Jr. squarely blames Ty Gibbs; however, another NASCAR veteran holds a higher authority accountable.

Hamlin-Gibbs feud sparks leadership backlash from NASCAR veteran

Both fans and NASCAR insiders have questioned how the team managed the heated on-track clash between its drivers. While the tension didn’t spill over onto pit road after the race, JGR’s senior figures were expected to step in. Former driver Kyle Petty criticizes the team owner’s hands-off approach, saying, “What disturbs me is what Joe Gibbs said. He said, it’s not about me, it’s about the drivers. What does that mean? I thought he was ‘Coach’ Gibbs!”

Following the race, Joe Gibbs spoke with Denny Hamlin and indicated that the drivers would need to resolve the matter among themselves. He stated, “Those guys are the ones driving the cars, so… those guys will get together on their own and figure it out.” Known as the players’ coach, Gibbs has a history of fostering an environment where drivers are encouraged to manage their own disputes.

With Joe Gibbs Racing under scrutiny and calls for clearer guidance to prevent teammate conflicts during high-stakes playoff races, attention turns to the next race at Kansas Speedway. Fans will be watching to see if JGR manages internal tensions and whether Hamlin, Gibbs, and their teammates can compete without further controversy.