The internal dynamics at Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) seem to be shifting, with the spotlight moving from Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 team to Christopher Bell and his No. 20 team. This shift was expected to occur after Martin Truex Jr.’s departure from the team, with seniority presumed to pass to Hamlin. However, the racing results tell a different story.
Bell has emerged as the leading contender from the JGR camp in the Next Gen era, making it to the championship race twice in 2022 and 2023. This achievement could have been reached a year earlier if not for alleged race manipulation tactics at Martinsville.
Meanwhile, Hamlin and his team seem to have lost their grip on the championship dream, unable to secure a title. Despite a promising opportunity to break a 29-race winless streak at Phoenix, Hamlin fell short, losing to the rising star Bell by a mere 0.049 seconds.
This near miss at Phoenix has thrown light on the ‘every man for himself’ philosophy that JGR seems to adopt, with an apparent lack of team orders. While this approach promotes a competitive spirit among teammates, it also risks losing strategic opportunities, as evidenced by Hamlin’s struggle for a playoff spot.
Former NASCAR champion Kevin Harvick pointed out this potential flaw in JGR’s approach on the Happy Hour Podcast. He recalled asking Bell about the team’s strategy, only to learn that they rarely discuss it, with each driver instructed to race for their win.
Interestingly, Hamlin did not retaliate against Bell’s aggressive approach at Phoenix, a stark contrast to his previous confrontations with racers like Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott. Post-race, Hamlin admitted to being more disappointed with himself than anything else, indicating a possible lack of conviction on the track.
This incident isn’t the first time JGR drivers have clashed on the track for victory. Harvick recalled instances where Carl Edwards knocked Kyle Busch out of the way, suggesting that this is part of the Gibbs culture.
However, the rise of Christopher Bell in the 2025 NASCAR season cannot be ignored. His consecutive wins at Atlanta, Circuit of the Americas, and Phoenix have catapulted him to the top, making him the first to achieve such a feat in the Next-Gen era. This streak has led Harvick to conclude that Bell is emerging as the new team leader at JGR, replacing Hamlin.
The No. 11 team has seen significant changes with Chris Gabehart moving on to a new role within the organization and Chris Gayle taking the reins. Many believed that Gabehart was the key to help Hamlin achieve championship glory, but JGR’s management had other plans.
As the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season unfolds, it appears that Bell is determined to assert his dominance, not just within JGR, but also among his rivals. It will be interesting to see how Hamlin and his team respond to this challenge, possibly sparking a captivating rivalry within the same team.