“JGR and Toyota have betrayed the driver who made them relevant,” NASCAR Twitter reacts to Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch swapping pit crews for remainder of 2022 season

Joe Gibbs Racing has decided to swap the pit crews of their veteran drivers Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch. Five crew members from each team will swap places. The crew chiefs of both drivers will not be changing.

https://twitter.com/NASCAR/status/1572390160226189314

Denny Hamlin will see, Blake Houston (front tire changer), Jacob Holmes (tire carrier), Michael Hicks (rear tire changer), Derrell Edwards (jack), and Justin White (fueler) making their way to the No:18 team. Thomas Hatcher (front tire changer), Lee Cunningham (tire carrier), C.J. Bailey (rear tire changer), Kellen Mills (jack), and Matthew Tyrrell (fueler) of the No:18 team will join Denny Hamlin.

Joe Gibbs Racing is swapping the over-the-wall pit crews for Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin starting at Texas.
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) September 19, 2022

Kyle Busch, who will join RCR next year, has already been eliminated from the 2022 playoff. Though JGR have not revealed any reason behind the switch, it’s safe to assume that it has been done to enhance the productivity of Denny Hamlin’s playoff campaign. The No:18 crew is surely better than the N0:11 crew in most of the performance metrics.

Also read: Toyota “haunted” by Kyle Busch’s engine failing twice across three playoff races that cost him “a shot at his third championship,”

How NASCAR Twitter reacted to the Denny Hamlin-Kyle Busch switch

NASCAR Twitter was quick to react to the news as Busch’s pre-agreed move gives another dimension to the switch. Fans were quick to suggest a conspiracy from JGR to give Kyle Busch a bad sendoff. At the same time, some appreciated the logical decision made by JGR as Denny Hamlin had the worst JGR pit crew on the grid.

It makes sense. 11 pit crew sucks and he's fighting for the championship
— Binotto burner account (@GDB_LPN) September 19, 2022

Better pit crew to the driver still in the playoffs. Logical move. But KB fans about to go crazy.
— Johnny Racecar (@racecar_johnny) September 19, 2022

uhhh, not even close lol. 11 is in the playoffs, and he's getting the better pit crew. This happens a lot; nothing intentional to hurt Kyle. It's to help Denny
— Bryce⁹⁴ (@superhamrick94) September 19, 2022

Puts both of his cars back on the track the other night and now taking his pit crew. Lol. This just keeps getting better and better. Kyle is time to join the Chastain Train to the end of the season!
— William Harris (@WilliamH7878) September 19, 2022

Hamlin himself is awful on pit rod with more speeding penalties than anyone else this year
— Hey It’s Perry (@CPGOAT) September 19, 2022

Where have u been..the 11 crew has cost Denny at least 2, potentially up to 4 wins this year.
— Chris Grella (@HokieChris1) September 19, 2022

Still got gonna get it done when it matters so enjoy the wins with no championships lol
— Tyler (@145_Tyler) September 19, 2022

All part of the anti-Kyle conspiracy. They’ve been personally sabotaging their own team to help the other teams they own
— Mark Urban (@murbanvideo) September 19, 2022

JGR was relevant well before 2008 lol
— LabonteFan and 99 others (@LabonteFan) September 19, 2022

I would laugh the shit of it if the crew of Denny works better with Kyle 😂😂
— Mauricio Rojas Sánchez (@sepmau888) September 19, 2022

They don’t care he’s not in playoffs and he won’t be with the team next season
— Joe (@Joe45837832) September 19, 2022

The 11 crew has cost him multiple wins this year. Michigan, Richmond included. They put him in the back at Darlington and he got involved in a wreck immediately after. He was top 5 at Bristol last week and they had a loose wheel. Lost 5+ every stop at Nashville with fastest car.
— Brayson 🌵 (@bmitchell11x) September 19, 2022

TRD engines given to the #18 & now swapping out his pit crew!! Not even a conspiracy @ this point😂More like clock work
— 🏖️Lo_ (@Lo_555555555) September 19, 2022

DENNY Hamlin has NO, No chance AT all winning the CHAMPIONSHIP, they could give him a 2 lap lead, and he would still F – – k it up. , TO many Chevrolets to beat
— Rik (@RickReiter13) September 20, 2022

So who celebrates in victory land if denny wins the championship. The crew that got him this far or the crew he had during the playoffs. Sounds like the crew that got him this far is getting the shaft
— chris beasley (@cgrainger655) September 19, 2022