Denny Hamlin explains the pit-lane clash that ‘DESTROYED’ Ty Gibbs’s car

Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs's pitlane clash cost both drivers significant pace.

Denny Hamlin explains the pit-lane clash that ‘DESTROYED’ Ty Gibbs’s car

Ty Gibbs and Denny Hamlin (Via IMAGO)

Joe Gibbs Racing had a mixed result at the Texas Motor Speedway Cup playoff race on Sunday. Championship contenders Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin finished the race in the top 5, while Martin Truex Jr. had to end his day at an underwhelming P17. Rookie Ty Gibbs scored a disappointing P33 following a pit-lane incident with teammate Hamlin.

Denny Hamlin slammed into Joe Gibbs’s grandson’s left while leaving the pit stop. Both drivers endured significant damages, with Gibbs suffering the most. The 45-mile speed crash took place after Gibbs found him too close to the No:11 car while he was trying to avoid the pit crew ahead of him. If The No:54 drove a little away from the middle lane, the crash could’ve been avoided.

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While talking about it, Hamlin admitted that it took speed out of both the cars, and Gibbs was at the wrong place at the wrong time. He pointed out that Gibbs wasn’t aware of the lack of space exited while trying to outrace his rival on the pit lane, and his swing to avoid Austin Cindric’s tire changer resulted in the crash.

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“I mean, it definitely took speed out of our car, and I hate it for Ty. Certainly, it destroyed his car. I had the changer from the 2 [Cindric], I was trying to avoid him. He had just stood up to go around the left side of the car, so I had to swing out to avoid him, and you know, we were three wide there,” Denny Hamlin told Fox Sport (H&T: ProTalk)

“Yeah, it’s just a tough circumstance for everyone. Certainly, in Ty’s position, he’s trying to race the guy off pit road that he’s side-by-side with, and he knows I’m coming out, but he doesn’t know how far, so it’s very tough spot to be in for sure,” Hamlin added.

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Denny Hamlin has the right to be disappointed after Texas

The JGR veteran didn’t just miss out on a win for his No:11 Toyota Camry team, but Hamlin, the team owner, also missed out on a well-deserved win. 23XI Racings Bubba Wallace started the race on the pole and led a career-best 111 laps just to end the race on P3. Hamlin co-owns 23XI with NBA legend Michael Jordan.

Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick (Via IMAGO)
Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick (Via IMAGO)

A poor final restart cost the No:23 Toyota Camry team the win and automatic R-8 promotion on Sunday. He was outraced on the final restart by Hendrick Motorsports’ Willaim Byron, who used the battle between Wallace and Chase Briscoe for the lead to his advantage.

Another disappointment for Hamlin is the performance of 23XI Tyler Reddick, who, unlike his teammate, had his worst post-season race. He started the race on P14 and finished P24. He is now with Wallace, the bottom four drivers in danger of missing out on R-8.

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