“Does Ty know we are going for a championship? What the f*ck?” fumed Denny Hamlin over the radio. The playoff intensity boiled over at New Hampshire as Hamlin and Christopher Bell, both firmly in the title hunt, found themselves battling not only the field but also their own teammate, Ty Gibbs. He went toe-to-toe with Bell, making contact before defiantly stating that he “won’t take any more crap” from his teammate. But inside JGR, the fallout will be far harder to sidestep, especially given that he is the grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs. And that is exactly what long-time NASCAR broadcaster Steve Letarte is stressing.

Steve Letarte urged a broader perspective, pointing to the responsibility that now falls on team owner Joe Gibbs. He explained, “What I want here is I want the Coach, the Super Bowl championship coach, he’s called coach for a reason. This is what owners need. Everyone always asks, ‘What’s an owner do?’ Well, he raises money, and he hires the right people, but when an owner is really tested, is this moment right here. Because I agree with Jeff, this is an intersection.”

Ty Gibbs isn’t a stranger to controversy with his own teammates. Back in the 2022 Xfinity Series, he sparked outrage when he wrecked Brandon Jones, costing him a shot at the Championship 4. That backlash was fearless, but Gibbs brushed it off in his post-race comments, showing a little remorse for the move. Now in his third full-time Cup season, the 22-year-old is still searching for his first victory. Just last week at Bristol, he looked poised to change the narrative, leading more than 200 laps before a costly mistake on pit road under green erased his shot at the win. If anything, the moment was like déjà vu for him.

The drama only escalated when Hamlin got his shot at the No. 54, aggressively shoving Gibbs up the track before finally spinning him into the outside wall. The 44-year-old didn’t mince words afterward, questioning whether Joe Gibbs Racing, the championship favorite, was too afraid to confront the young driver. Gibbs, for his part, brushed off the chaos with a sharp “Game on” before returning to the track, only to brush the wall again exiting Turn 2.

Both Denny Hamlin and Gibbs downplayed the dust-up in their post-race comments, dodging direct answers and leaving more questions than clarity. That silence only fueled speculation, as USA Network’s Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte dissected the incident on air. Hamlin’s frustration was playing after running side-by-side with Gibbs for several laps before the spin. Whether Hamlin intentionally dumped the No. 54 or tried to muscle him higher on the track, the result was the same: one of the organization’s own cars in the wall.

Letarte added, “What makes it more complicated because it’s coach Gibbs talking about grandson, Ty Gibbs. You cannot take those layers off the onion. Those are real. Those connections are real. So it’ll be interesting to see if Denny and Ty … and just as important for (Christopher) Bell and (Chase) Briscoe. So I think it’s a real turning point or a real intersection for all of Joe Gibbs Racing.”

The incident, Steve and Burton argue, marks a turning point for JGR. It could escalate into lasting friction between the teammates, or it could be smoothed over quickly with strong leadership. The deciding factor will be how Joe Gibbs chooses to get there. And as NASCAR lets Denny Hamlin defer his penalty due to this incident, Chase Briscoe and Christopher Bell stay in the clear, racing clean.

Chase Briscoe and Christopher Bell keep their noses clean amid JGR tension

While there was plenty of chaos elsewhere, especially among teammates, Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe avoided contact, mishaps, or penalties. Neither found themselves caught up in wrecks or in questionable moves on track. They stayed consistent, smart, and steady, which paid off in the final results. Bell, who was pegged as New Hampshire’s favorite, delivered a solid performance.

He qualified 19th and steadily worked his way forward during the race. Despite not being in the top 10 in stage one, by the end, he secured sixth place as the top finisher among Joe Gibbs Racing drivers. He showed teasers of competitiveness, running inside the top 10 in the later stages. His result places him fourth, while being 29 points above the cut-off line.

Briscoe also had an uneventful but effective day. He finished 10th at New Hampshire after starting 18th, which, while not spectacular, was enough to stay comfortable in the playoff mix. However, his result leaves him eighth in the playoff standings, just 12 points above the cut-off. Briscoe didn’t contend for the win or lead many laps, but his result showed consistency, which is exactly what counts this early in the Round of 12. And as Joe Gibbs Racing hits race two of the Round of 12 at Kansas, they look forward to keeping all three playoff drivers in the mix.