In a notable shift at Joe Gibbs Racing, Chris Gabehart, once the trusted crew chief for Denny Hamlin, stepped back into active race-day decision making Saturday night at Atlanta, now serving as the race strategist for Ty Gibbs. This change comes less than a season after Gabehart’s promotion to competition director, highlighting a focused effort to strengthen Gibbs’ bid for the NASCAR playoffs as the regular season nears its climax.

Previously winning 22 Cup races alongside Hamlin from 2019 through 2024, Gabehart moved away from his long-held Denny Hamlin crew chief role to now steer race strategy directly with Gibbs. Gabehart coordinated closely with Gibbs and crew chief Tyler Allen during the Atlanta race, managing real-time decisions aimed at securing that elusive spot in the postseason.

Progress and Challenges in Ty Gibbs’ Pursuit of Playoff Spot

Ty Gibbs has demonstrated competitiveness in recent races but has encountered multiple setbacks. At Michigan, Gibbs finished third after contending with fuel management issues, unable to challenge Hamlin who won despite similar fuel-saving tactics. When Gibbs expressed frustration on the radio, Gabehart quickly reassured the team:

“Hey, we didn’t give (anything) away. We had a great day. We did what we needed to do. We got a top five. Our other car won. It’s about big picture. All right? Take this and build.”

—Chris Gabehart, Race Strategist

Following Michigan, Gibbs ran strong again at the Mexico road course, positioning himself as the main challenger to eventual winner Shane van Gisbergen. However, a pivotal caution at Lap 66 drastically altered his race, forcing him to pit under yellow and dropping him far behind leaders who had pitted earlier under green. Tyler Allen, in his second year as a crew chief, reflected on the strategy:

“It’s super risky at a road course. If that caution doesn’t come, we have a really good shot to win. Unfortunately, it did and buried us back in about 15th and that was about all we could do.”

—Tyler Allen, Crew Chief

Gibbs finished 11th at Mexico and followed that with a 14th-place result at Pocono, where he made five pit stops compared to fewer stops by many competitors ahead. At the recent Atlanta race, despite leading 32 laps, Gibbs failed to score stage points and dropped one position to 24th in the season standings.

Strategic Focus Intensifies to Secure Playoff Berth

The urgency surrounding Gibbs’ playoff chances is clear, with only eight races left in the regular season and Gibbs trailing the cutoff line by 86 points. Winning is nearly essential for his postseason hopes. Gabehart, now deeply involved in race-day strategy, emphasized the importance of direct radio communication with Gibbs during races to make swift decisions without intermediaries:

“The margin for winning and not winning in this sport is as tight as it’s ever been. It’s the smallest of things. One reason might be some instance that I can get through to (Gibbs) or a decision I made on the fly that may not be clear at first but results in an opportunity to win. That’s a nuance. Another nuance is Ty knows my history and resume, so maybe he’ll respond to that in a little bit different way.”

—Chris Gabehart, Race Strategist

Gabehart also mentioned the benefit of observing the team more broadly from his competition director vantage point, something Tyler Allen is gaining insight into after his time as a crew chief and engineer:

“I think the truth is you can learn something from anything and you never know what might make the difference.”

—Nate Ryan, Journalist

Balancing Leadership Across Joe Gibbs Racing’s Multiple Teams

While Gabehart focuses heavily on guiding Gibbs, he remains responsible for overseeing the performance of the organization‘s other three playoff-eligible teams. Managing these roles simultaneously is a challenge Gabehart has accepted:

“That’s ultimately up for me to manage. The decision was made to spread me a little thinner … so that’s what we’ll do.”

—Chris Gabehart, Competition Director

Though Gabehart has stepped away from day-to-day crew chief duties for over half a season, his skills remain finely tuned. His ability to influence race outcomes through strategy continues to be recognized by peers, including Alan Gustafson, crew chief for Atlanta winner Chase Elliott. Gustafson praised Gabehart’s reputation within the garage:

“I have a lot of respect for Chris, I’ve raced with Chris for a long time. There’s guys that you work with in this garage that do things the right way and race really hard and give you everything they’ve got and are fair and respectful. Chris is one of those guys. … He’s really good at what he does.”

—Alan Gustafson, Crew Chief

Implications for Ty Gibbs and Joe Gibbs Racing Playoff Prospects

With the playoff cut-off looming, Ty Gibbs’ season hinges on extracting maximum performance from his car and team. Gabehart’s return to hands-on strategy represents a critical effort to close the points gap. The combination of direct communication, refined decision-making, and Gabehart’s previous championship-winning experience with Denny Hamlin positions the team to be more responsive during races.

How this strategy will play out over the remaining eight events remains uncertain, though the organization is clearly allocating resources to maximize Gibbs’ chances. Meanwhile, the other Joe Gibbs Racing teams continue to compete for playoff points, with Gabehart balancing multiple priorities in a high-pressure environment.