The Loudon track hosted the first playoff race in the Round of 12 after seven years, with the last such event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway dating back to 2017. The victory was claimed by Ryan Blaney from Team Penske in the Mobil 1 301, but two Joe Gibbs Racing drivers stole the spotlight and set the garage abuzz. Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs tangled in a moment that went beyond typical on-track action. Their Stage 2 contact on Lap 110 in Turn 3 left fans and teams dissecting every angle.

Hamlin’s ongoing 2025 season has been strong, with five wins and 12 top-five finishes, positioning him solidly at P5 in the playoffs. As he nears the end of his career without a championship, his closest coming as runner-up in 2010, he’s shown a fiercer drive to seize every opportunity. Gibbs, still hunting his first Cup win in his third full season, has matched that intensity amid mounting expectations. But this incident hints at deeper tensions within the team. As insiders break it down, their take reveals layers to the story.

Insiders weigh in on the Denny Hamlin-Ty Gibbs clash

On the X post of Dirty Mo Media, host Karsyn Elledge kicked off the discussion by recapping the heated moment: “Denny Hamlin bumps and wrecks Ty Gibbs in stage two racing for 11th. Denny said on the radio, “Are they afraid to talk to him?” That’s what I feel like; they’re just scared of him. Ty Gibbs also says on the radio, “I ain’t taking no more shit. Game on.”” This insider take spotlights the controversial move where Hamlin, battling for playoff points, clipped Gibbs’ left rear entering the corner, sending the No. 54 Toyota spinning into the wall and out of the race early.

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The background traces back to Gibbs defending hard against Hamlin, refusing to yield despite not being in the postseason hunt himself. Freddie Kraft, Bubba Wallace’s spotter and podcast guest, backed Hamlin’s frustration, stating, “So, from what I understand, it was fairly warranted.” This comment underscores the growing chaos at JGR, where veteran expectations clash with a young driver’s pushback.

The radio exchanges laid bare the internal rift, with Hamlin venting mid-race: “Are they afraid to talk to him? That’s what I feel like. They’re just scared of him.” Gibbs, grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs and in his third full Cup season without a win, fired back over his radio with “Game on,” signaling no more backing down. Post-race, Hamlin reflected on the mishap, telling reporters, “I made a mistake in Turn 1. I would have made a mistake with anybody in that position. I was trying to get by him. That was a task in itself.”

This incident reflects broader JGR struggles, as Hamlin eyes a title in the three-round playoff format that demands precision and team support, while Gibbs grapples with the grind of Cup racing amid high family expectations. Kraft delved deeper into Gibbs’ mindset, observing, “You heard Danny get critical of Ty and people not wanting to talk to him. And I don’t know him off the race track much, you know, but like it’s just strikes me as a guy that’s not having fun. No. All year.” He added, “I feel like they just need to figure out how to get this kid back to having fun and enjoying being in the race car.”

These insights point to a team environment strained by performance pressures, especially with Chase Briscoe joining JGR and already notching wins, amplifying Gibbs’ winless streak. The chaos highlights how on-track aggression can expose off-track communication breakdowns in a high-stakes outfit like JGR.

Gibbs’ post-race response kept it no nonsense stating, “It’s unfortunate, but I’m excited to go race next week and looking forward to it.” This understated reply belies the tension, as Gibbs, who stepped up to Cup after dominating in Xfinity with the 2022 championship, faces the series’ brutal learning curve without a victory yet. The background here ties into the playoff intensity, where Hamlin’s five wins position him as a contender, but incidents like this risk fracturing team unity just when cohesion matters most for a shot at the championship.

Yet the story didn’t end on the track, as social media erupted with accusations against Hamlin. The veteran didn’t hold back in addressing the claims head-on.

Hamlin claps back at intent claims

Denny Hamlin took to his Actions Detrimental podcast to push back against fans who insisted he wrecked Ty Gibbs deliberately during the New Hampshire scrap. He broke down the moment frame by frame, explaining, “You can see that we were making contact when he pulled down to the middle lane right in front of me.” This detail emphasizes the tight racing that led to the spin, not premeditated malice, drawing from Hamlin’s 20-plus years navigating pack dynamics in NASCAR’s top tier. It paints a picture of split-second decisions under pressure, where minor contact escalates quickly on a short track like Loudon.

Hamlin doubled down on his innocence with a touch of self-deprecating humor, adding, “We were already together, like it took nothing. And no, I wish I was that good.” This quip highlights his acknowledgment of the optics while rejecting the narrative of intent, rooted in his history of clean but aggressive racing. With 59 career Cup wins under his belt, Hamlin’s response reminds listeners that true skill lies in control, not calculated wrecks, especially against a teammate in a playoff push.

To drive the point home, Hamlin referenced a past mishap: “If that’s the case, I wouldn’t have wrecked Chase Elliott when I tried to move him up the racetrack back in 2017. It all depends on what point of the racetrack you’re at.” This callback to the Martinsville incident underscores how track position and car handling dictate outcomes, not vendettas. It adds context to his seasoned perspective, showing fans that racing mishaps often stem from the sport’s inherent chaos rather than personal agendas, keeping the focus on moving forward in the playoffs.