Dale Earnhardt Jr. Insists Denny Hamlin Wrecking Ty Gibbs at New Hampshire Was “Unnecessary”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has weighed in on Denny Hamlin's intentional wreck against Ty Gibbs at the New Hampshire race.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Insists Denny Hamlin Wrecking Ty Gibbs at New Hampshire Was “Unnecessary”

Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs (Via IMAGO), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (via Imagn)

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Denny Hamlin had an incident with his teammate, Ty Gibbs, at the USA Today 301 at New Hampshire. Hamlin was already under pressure in the race and had to perform well. Meanwhile, Gibbs, who wasn’t even in the playoffs was unnecessarily battling against his teammate way harder than required.

Because of this, the JGR veteran slammed into the youngster, causing him to DNF. Now, Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. has weighed in on the intra-team battle at the New Hampshire race.

Denny Hamlin has been the winningest driver on the NASCAR grid this year. The 44-year-old currently sits at the P5 spot in the championship standings and has great chances of making it into the round of 8. However, the New Hampshire could have turned ugly after Hamlin’s teammate Ty Gibbs was battling him hard on the track.

Mid-way through the race, Ty Gibbs was ahead of Denny Hamlin and was not yielding the position despite not being in the playoffs. In the heat of the moment, Hamlin nudged into the 22-year-old and caused him to crash into the barriers and suffer from a DNF.

The 44-year-old then went on to finish in P12, but he was visibly frustrated from the events that unfolded in New Hampshire. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has put forth his candid opinion on the matter and insisted that everybody understood what happened in New Hampshire between the two.

Dale Jr. questioned whether it was warranted for Denny Hamlin to spin Ty Gibbs out, just to send a message, claiming that it wasn’t really necessary. Subsequently, the 50-year-old struggled to look for a word to describe Gibbs and his history of not being a great teammate.

I think everybody understands what happened here, Did Denny have to spin him out to send his message? Was it necessary for Denny to wreck him into the wall? No, probably not. But, damn it — go to look at Ty’s history of, you know, kind of being a little — I don’t know what the word is. I’m trying to choose here.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. said on the Dale Jr. download.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. claims Ty Gibbs has ‘not been a great teammate’

Ty Gibbs has suffered from a dismal outing in the 2025 season, with his best finish being only a P3 position. On the contrary, Denny Hamlin has achieved a great performance this season and can go on to win his maiden Cup Series championship. However, Dale Earnhardt Jr. revealed a shocking fact about Gibbs and his attitude as a teammate to Hamlin so far.

Ty Gibbs and Denny Hamlin (Via IMAGO)
Ty Gibbs and Denny Hamlin (Via IMAGO)

Dale Earnhardt Jr. declared that Ty Gibbs hadn’t been a great teammate at times, especially to Denny Hamlin. Dale Jr. recalled Gibbs’ row with Brandon Jones at Martinsville, and his other antics against his teammates in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. As such, the 50-year-old insisted that he had a hard time figuring out the 22-year-old and his attitude while racing on the grid.

He’s not been a great teammate at times. He’s had some moments with, obviously, one of the more popularized ones would be Brandon Jones at Martinsville. But, you know, I remember him having some run ins with some other folks that were in the Gibbs’ Xfinity cars. I have a hard time kind of trying to figure out Ty Gibbs.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. noted

Many people argue that Ty Gibbs being the team owner’s grandson has helped him have a cushion regarding on-track shenanigans, especially against teammate. However, Joe Gibbs has already declared that patience is out the window when it comes to the former and his results. Now, time will tell about how the 22-year-old improves and performs as a team player in the coming season and onwards.

Read More: Ty Gibbs Uses Kevin Harvick’s Words to Blast Denny Hamlin After Loudon Crash