It took more than two years. Football-coach-turned-NASCAR-team-owner Joe Gibbs finally lifted the restrictions placed on his Cup Series drivers last year, which prohibited them from taking part in extracurricular racing adventures, particularly during the off-season. The decision came after his team signed Chase Briscoe from Stewart-Haas Racing, another driver with a dirt background, to its roster, joining 3-time Chili Bowl Champion Christopher Bell. Moreover, Gibbs’ grandson, Ty Gibbs, also expressed interest in competing on dirt tracks, and Coach couldn’t just say no.

However, that wasn’t always the case. Veteran racers Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch know all too well about being prohibited from taking part in different racing disciplines back in the day. Was such a stringent policy hindering the growth of Gibbs’ drivers?

Denny Hamlin takes a trip down memory lane

Joe Gibbs has consistently maintained his stance. The 84-year-old has “always preferred (drivers’) focus remain on racing in NASCAR.” However, when the majority of his roster (except Denny Hamlin) expressed their desire to compete on dirt tracks during the off-season, the North Carolina native “felt it was fair to come up with a process to consider those opportunities.” Eventually, his drivers received a go-ahead from the competition side of JGR, which didn’t just include dirt tracks, “but also potentially other forms of racing,” according to Gibbs.

Denny Hamlin has been a full-time driver for Joe Gibbs Racing since 2006. However, despite his decades-long contribution to the team, the racer wasn’t allowed to compete in an endurance race when he wanted to. Reflecting on the Actions Detrimental podcast, he said, “I had a 24-hour race deal that I got asked to do, and I was like, ‘I want to do it.’ And they didn’t want me to do that. The way they say, ‘We can’t control the cars, we don’t know how safe they are, and who are you going to drive for?’ I don’t even remember who it was.”

Hamlin isn’t the only one who was restricted by Joe Gibbs. Kyle Busch, who left the team in 2022 because of sponsorship problems, also faced a similar issue. ‘Rowdy’ recalled that he was very close to doing ‘The Double’, saying, “In 2017, I had it. It was all done. M&Ms was gonna do it. Guess who said no?” To this, Hamlin correctly guessed, “Joe Gibbs.” Busch went on to say, “Chevrolet was okay with it, Toyota was okay with it, M&Ms was paying for it.”

We all know Kyle Busch’s exit from JGR was ugly. With sponsorship issues, as Busch has earlier commented on JGR’s lack of effort to get him a sponsor, events like being barred from running the Indy 500 could have also contributed to his decision to leave for RCR in 2023. Busch has even stated that he counts the Indy 500 as a bucket list race, especially since his brother and 2004 Cup Champion, Kurt Busch, ran the hallowed race in 2014. Busch added, “Besides winning the Daytona 500, that’s the highest, but then doing the Indy 500 would certainly be that [bucket list].”

The look of regret was evident on both their faces. Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin are in the twilight of their careers, and opportunities like competing in the Indy 500 or a 24-hour endurance race don’t come every day. While they still have what it takes to compete in different disciplines, getting the stars to align in terms of agreements and sponsorships is a difficult task. Rowdy attempted to do ‘The Double’ in 2024 as well, but went on to say, “Larson took it.” It seems like he can’t shake off his run of bad luck.

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Bell was shocked at Joe Gibbs’ change in policy

While Christopher Bell, Ty Gibbs, and Chase Briscoe were hopeful about racing on dirt during the off-season, most of them didn’t really believe that the team owner would give in. For the No. 20 driver, the decision was a welcome change, as he is one of only three drivers to have won the prestigious Chili Bowl Midget Nationals at least three times. Bell had been sidelined from the discipline since mid-2022, with the only exception being two sprint races in May.

Sharing his thoughts about Joe Gibbs’ decision, Bell said, “I was definitely caught off guard by the change of policy. I was super shocked, but with Chase coming on board and Ty growing an interest in dirt racing, it’s nice we have the majority of our team aligned with it now.” Chase Briscoe was also taken aback, and he said, “I didn’t know in my first year getting there, I would still be able to go do stuff if I wanted to.”

According to Joe Gibbs Racing’s new policy, requests to race on dirt would largely be approved unless they were considered particularly risky. Such instances include racing at Eldora Speedway, which has a notorious reputation, or competing in non-wing sprint cars, which offer little protection in case of a flip. Given the team’s change in approach, could Denny Hamlin fulfill his lifelong dream of competing in an endurance race? Let us know in the comments!