Chase Briscoe’s 2025 YellaWood 500 win at Talladega wasn’t just a superspeedway stunner; it was a testament to teamwork, with Ty Gibbs’ clutch push in the final moments stealing the show. After a pit road penalty buried Briscoe mid-race, he clawed back, lining up sixth for NASCAR Overtime’s two-lap dash.

Gibbs, in the No. 54 Toyota, locked onto Briscoe’s bumper, shoving the No. 19 through the tri-oval as a wreck erupted behind, clinching Briscoe’s first plate-track victory and a Championship 4 spot. Gibbs could’ve chased his own glory or backed Bubba Wallace’s 23XI Toyota, but his JGR loyalty turned the tide, a move that’s got Denny Hamlin singing his praises.

Hamlin hails the team-first tactic

On his Actions Detrimental podcast, Denny Hamlin broke it down: “Yeah it was. It’s good to see and a lot of it is. He was definitely boxed in there. I don’t know where he… I think he had a lot of options but he did have the option when the 19 pulled out and that was to either stay straight and go with the 23 or push the 19.”

In the final lap, as Kyle Larson slipped behind suddenly, Briscoe rose from the second row to fight Wallace for the lead. Right behind Briscoe was Gibbs, who had two choices – to either push Wallace or Briscoe, and in a split-second call, he chose to stick with his JGR mate over Wallace’s 23XI ride. Telemetry and NBC replays caught the No. 54 glued to Briscoe, a draft that dodged a multi-car melee and landed Briscoe a 0.145-second edge over Todd Gilliland, with Gibbs snagging fourth.

Hamlin saw the stakes: “But I think that in that moment more than likely he’s like, ‘Okay, I’m going to go with my teammate here and end all doubt on that.’ I think the chances are equal. I mean when you’re the second car in line, it’s again… it’s so 50/50 on which lane’s going to push the best.”

This was a very mature growth for the No. 54 since the New Hampshire race in September, where Hamlin and Gibbs competed closely, and the No. 11 had no other choice but to clip Gibbs out as he didn’t support his teammate who expected him to, considering the stakes.

At nearly 200 mph, Gibbs’ gamble was no gimme; loop data shows just three of the last five Talladega finishes leaned on that second-car shove for wins under 0.05 seconds. Choosing Briscoe over a solo shot or 23XI’s line was a nod to Toyota’s push for unity, a far cry from the 2022 Daytona 500’s fractured Toyota front or Hamlin’s 2023 gripe that “everyone’s on their own” when it’s go time.

That choice flipped Gibbs’ script. His 2022 Xfinity Martinsville spin of teammate Brandon Jones painted him as the brash kid, but this Talladega team play shows a driver growing into JGR’s fold.

Hamlin, a 23XI co-owner who’s pushed for Toyota cohesion since 2021, gave rare props for Gibbs’ sacrifice, a move that echoed 2024’s Daytona call for better JGR-23XI sync. Gibbs’ push wasn’t just physics; it was proof he’s shedding the selfish rep for a team-first heart, earning a nod from NASCAR’s toughest critic.

Gibbs’ teammate-first fire ties straight to JGR’s Championship 4 haul, but Denny Hamlin’s got mixed feelings about the double-up.

JGR’s Championship 4 lock

Gibbs’ teammate-first fire ties straight to JGR’s Championship 4 haul, but Denny Hamlin’s got mixed feelings about the double-up. Briscoe’s Talladega triumph, fueled by Gibbs’ push, locked him in alongside Hamlin, who punched his ticket with a Las Vegas win, his 60th, tying Kevin Harvick’s all-time mark. With Martinsville’s Xfinity 500 looming, JGR’s got two shots at the 2025 title, a first for Briscoe and a long-sought crown for Hamlin, JGR’s title-less veteran.

But Hamlin spilled the catch on Actions Detrimental: “The downside is one of my competitors will know what I have. More than likely at some point we will run each other’s setups to see ‘what does he like?’, ‘what’s he gonna go into this weekend with? We all feel as though we’re the best. I’m not gonna get beat by equipment. Puts more pressure on me to go out and get it done.”

Two JGR cars in the final four means shared secrets; setups swapped, edges exposed. Briscoe’s rookie JGR run, now three wins deep, meets Hamlin’s 60-win grit, but the open-book battle amps the heat, each knowing the other’s playbook as Phoenix’s finale nears.

Gibbs’ Talladega shove didn’t just lift Briscoe; it locked JGR’s grip on the championship chase, a team triumph that’s got Hamlin praising and pondering. The teammate gesture that earned his respect now sets a stage where JGR’s strength is its own stress, a high-stakes showdown where loyalty meets rivalry.