CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Changes are on the horizon for Denny Hamlin’s racing team as he prepares for the 2025 season, with a new crew chief being appointed. Joe Gibbs Racing has officially announced that Chris Gayle will take the reins as the crew chief for Hamlin’s No. 11 team. This transition comes as Chris Gabehart is elevated to the role of competition director. Gayle has spent the last two seasons leading the No. 54 team within JGR.
The announcement regarding the new crew chief for the No. 54 team will be made at a later date. Both Gayle and Gabehart have long-standing histories with JGR and have had successful tenures that include making the Cup Series Playoffs and achieving top-15 placements in overall points standings.
Joe Gibbs, the owner and founder of JGR, expressed his pride in the team’s depth of talent, stating, “Chris Gabehart will now be an asset across all four of our teams as competition director and we thought it was important to have him transition into his new role immediately. Chris Gayle will bring his own perspective to the 11 team while also maintaining the consistency and continuity they have developed with Denny over the past several years.”
Gayle has an impressive record that includes two Cup Series wins, along with 37 victories in the Xfinity Series, and he led the Xfinity Series team to a championship in 2022. After joining JGR as an engineer back in 2003, Gayle moved up to a crew chief role for the Xfinity Series in 2013, achieving 20 wins during his four seasons. He then served as a crew chief for Furniture Row Racing in 2017 but returned to JGR in 2018 to work in the Cup Series.
During his time with Erik Jones in the Cup Series, Gayle guided him to his maiden victory and a notable Southern 500 win in 2019. With the No. 54 Xfinity Series team, he oversaw ten wins across four different drivers, including Ty Gibbs, who clinched the series championship under Gayle’s leadership.
Gayle expressed excitement about working with Hamlin, describing him as a likely Hall of Famer, and he shared his enthusiasm for bringing success to the No. 11 team. “Denny and Gabehart have established an incredible culture that is a very good barometer for our other drivers and teams to strive to match,” said Gayle. He is optimistic about continuing the success that the team is known for moving into 2025.
Meanwhile, Chris Gabehart, who joined JGR in 2012, first served as a race engineer before stepping into a crew chief position for the NASCAR Xfinity Series between 2016 and 2018, accumulating nine victories in that time. Since taking over as crew chief of the No. 11 team in 2019, Gabehart and Hamlin have become formidable competitors, securing notable wins, including two Daytona 500 victories and making multiple appearances in the Championship 4.
Reflecting on his time with the No. 11 team, Gabehart shared his gratitude for the opportunities JGR has provided and expressed excitement for future endeavors in his new role, focusing on the upcoming season and the potential for greatness.
In a different move within the racing circuit, RFK Racing has announced that experienced crew chief Jeremy Bullins will join their team, reuniting with driver and co-owner Brad Keselowski to manage the No. 6 team beginning in 2025. Bullins, who has a robust background including 31 wins, arrives at RFK after a lengthy career with Wood Brothers Racing and Team Penske.
Expressing his enthusiasm, Bullins noted, “I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity to work with BK again, this time in the iconic No. 6 car with RFK.” He acknowledged their past accomplishments together and expressed eagerness to pursue joint goals like winning the Daytona 500 and a championship.
Bullins most recently led the No. 21 team, achieving a landmark victory for the organization at Daytona this summer. His previous work with Cindric and the No. 2 team came after Keselowski’s departure from Team Penske, and together they experienced success, finishing second in the points standings during the 2020 season and capturing five race wins over 2020-2021.