Denny Hamlin’s words on Tuesday reflected his thoughts from a year ago. “I mean, I was worried. Chris Gayle’s résumé was not mind-blowing by any stretch of the imagination.” After fetching 22 trophies with Chris Gabehart over 6 seasons, Hamlin suddenly found himself working with somebody new. Chris Gayle had won only two Cup Series trophies in 200 starts and had a bigger Xfinity Series resume. However, Gayle turned the tables within a year.

Denny Hamlin fetched the South Point 400 trophy last weekend, checking off several milestones. From fetching his 60th trophy to making his family happy, the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran achieved a lot. Closely entwined with Hamlin’s achievements was Chris Gayle’s phenomenal progress, which JGR could hardly ignore.

Much-deserved tributes from the garage

When Chris Gayle became the No. 11 Toyota crew chief in place of Chris Gabehart, the move shocked people. Yet it was a move by veteran football coach and race team owner, Joe Gibbs, after all. Although Denny Hamlin could not see it then, the coach had the vision. And the results are already apparent. Gayle guided Hamlin to his 6th victory in Las Vegas, marking the most trophies Hamlin has gathered in a season since 2020. Additionally, it locked Hamlin into the Championship 4, a feat that has not happened since 2021. Clearly, Gayle and Hamlin’s camaraderie, something that was viewed with doubts earlier, is working wonders.

In a weekly meeting ahead of the Las Vegas glory, Chris Gayle shared that once, he had no idea about racing. To come from that spot to reach a championship-contending position in NASCAR is huge, as JGR competition director Chris Gabehart said. “He had no idea what racing was all about, and now he’s here and gets to race for a championship in Phoenix. There is no one more deserving. His work ethic is huge. He’s a good person…a team player. He’s been handed a great opportunity, and look at what he’s doing with it.”

Even Denny Hamlin, who admittedly had qualms about the new pairing, praised Chris Gayle heartily. “I really appreciate his leadership. He pushes me as hard as Gabehart did.” Then Hamlin hailed Joe Gibbs’ far-sighted vision. “I can confidently say that Gibbs made the right decision in choosing him, giving him the opportunity with me. I think it’s been a very good mix of our thoughts. That’s why I think we’ve gotten better as a team – it’s sometimes a fresh, new perspective and ideas that can teach you something. I think he has.”

Chris Gayle owns a 2022 Xfinity Series championship with Ty Gibbs. Yet the Las Vegas moment felt surreal, as he competes for a Cup Series title. Gayle shared, “17-year-old Chris Gayle would have killed for this moment, to just be a part of it. Then, to kind of sit here in victory lane after this, the one thing I’ve said is I’m going to enjoy it. I’m going to soak it in and enjoy the next three weeks, lay everything I can out for Phoenix, and move on.”

The pieces are falling in place for both Denny Hamlin and Chris Gayle. And the cherry on top was the final pit stop they made in Las Vegas.

Elaborating on the winner’s call

The final ten laps of the South Point 400 were absolute cinema for fans. Denny Hamlin climbed from a 10th-place spot, dramatically passing Kyle Larson and then Chase Briscoe to grab the lead. Meanwhile, pit road problems plagued playoff and non-playoff drivers. Notably, William Byron did not notice Ty Dillon’s signal to pit and rammed into the latter’s rear bumper. Meanwhile, Chase Briscoe and Joey Logano made two-tire pit calls that improved their pace. But it was not enough to topple Hamlin. The key to his fantastic speed was a four-tire call by No. 11 crew chief Chris Gayle.

And Chris Gayle shared his mindset behind this crucial call that led to Denny Hamlin’s victory. Gayle said, “When we were getting ready to fire off with 22, 23 laps…I thought it would be fun. I didn’t necessarily think we’re gonna have the speed to get from where we were…But the circumstances of the previous pit stop and how everything happened…I thought if I had taken two, I was gonna be like the 19 and would not have won the race. It would have taken multiple cautions to do that. And I thought maybe I have the car good enough. Top two, top three car maybe, and I could potentially do it another way.”

Now, Hamlin has big chances to finally win the title. Evidently, Chris Gayle’s genius strategies are something to be studied closely in NASCAR. Let’s wait and see what other bright calls he makes to push Denny Hamlin towards his goal.