MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Joe Gibbs Racing Competition Director Chris Gabehart just had a feeling that Denny Hamlin would find victory lane in Sunday’s (March 30) Cook 400 at Martinsville Speedway.
That feeling was right.
“It had that look to it,” Gabehart explained. “The setup, stuff that they had come up with and kind of chipped away on over a lot of good cars over the years and a couple key things in it. Then the look of the car in practice, Denny’s swagger. I just know him really well, and I know the [the No. 11’s] situation really well.
“I told several of them this morning that I thought it was the No. 11 winning today, and it was awesome to see them dominate for sure. That’s definitely what they’re capable of.”
After 10 years and more than a thousand laps out front in a frustrating dry spell, Hamlin finally returned to Martinsville victory lane in dominating fashion, winning by 4.6 seconds and leading a race-high 274 laps of Sunday’s 400-lapper.
Hamlin broke a 32-race winless drought after several frustrating near-misses in the second half of 2024. He tied Rusty Wallace for 11th on the all-time win list with 55, and Martinsville was his first Cup victory with Chris Gayle on the pit box after his six-year tenure with Gabehart came to an end last season. Gabehart has already seen three victories with Christopher Bell in his new role for 2025. But win number four — Hamlin’s first since his promotion — felt different.
“Those were my guys, man,” Gabehart reminisced. “I am, over time, trying to figure out how to help put a fingerprint on the other three teams and on the organization as a whole — that’s why I was put in this role. But I spent six years embedded in that No. 11, building the culture of that No. 11.
“So many of those team members are family to me. I’ve asked them to sacrifice so much for so many years, so absolutely, this one feels a lot different. The Martinsville clock that eluded the No. 11 for so many years is finally back with Denny and the No. 11 team, and yeah this is a big one for me. I’m proud of all of them, but this one is a big one for me personally.”
Even with a bigger role within JGR this season, Gabehart still has the knowledge of Hamlin and the No. 11 team down to the science.
“My role is certainly different now, but I’m still pretty plugged into what all the teams do setup wise and maybe influenced [them] in some way or another, and I liked their process,” Gabehart continued. “I liked what they came up with, and when I watched practice down here in turns 1 and 2, I know the look the No. 11 needs and I know some of the things they’ve worked on since the last time we were there and had it. And with our meeting afterwards with all the drivers, I could tell it was there.”
“… They had the right look, had the right feel, and I’m proud to say that for right know, I know Denny Hamlin and the team dynamic of the No. 11 and the set-up sheets and all that stuff. I know him enough that all the pieces were there today.”
Gabehart’s departure as crew chief was the hit to the No. 11 team’s stability in several years, but Martinsville proved that Hamlin — at 44 years of age — hasn’t missed a beat despite all the shifts. JGR’s won four of the first seven races to start the season, and while there’s still work to be done, Gabehart’s promotion and Hamlin’s new pairing with Gayle are immediately paying off.
Stephen Stumpf is the NASCAR Content Director for Frontstretch and is a three-year veteran of the site. His weekly column is “Stat Sheet,” and he formerly wrote "4 Burning Questions" for three years. He also writes commentaries, contributes to podcasts, edits articles and is frequently at the track for on-site coverage.
Find Stephen on Twitter @stephen_stumpf