Ty Gibbs and Denny Hamlin may be teammates, but they did not embrace this on Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Instead, they went back and forth in a heated clash before Hamlin sent Gibbs into the wall.
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The two Joe Gibbs Racing drivers did not cut each other any breaks during the second stage of Sunday's playoff race. At one point, Hamlin and Christopher Bell both raced for position while trying to pass Gibbs, but the driver of the No. 54 continued battling. Gibbs and Bell banged doors while also racing next to Noah Gragson.
Hamlin expressed frustration with Gibbs at multiple points of the race. He even asked, "Does Ty know we are going for a championship? What the f***?"
This was far from the only clash involving the two drivers. Hamlin tried to pass Gibbs on numerous occasions, but his teammate would not back down from the challenge. He frequently entered the corner low and then slid back up as Hamlin tried to pass him on the outside.
TENSIONS. ARE. HIGH. 👀
Denny Hamlin voices some frustration while battling with teammate Ty Gibbs. #NASCARPlayoffs
📺: @USANetwork pic.twitter.com/epxts7yuDJ
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 21, 2025
The frustration boiled over. Hamlin tagged Gibbs from behind and sent the No. 54 spinning into the outside wall. He then keyed on his radio to ask, "What the f*** is he doing?"
Crew chief Chris Gayle tried to turn the attention back to Hamlin's car and what the veteran driver needed to contend for the win. Yet, Hamlin was not done focusing on Gibbs, the grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs.
"Are they afraid to talk to him," Hamlin asked over the radio. "That's what I feel like. They're just scared of him."
Gibbs, for his part, did not say much over his radio. He sent a message by saying, "Game on," but he never got back to Hamlin. He spent time in the DVP (Damaged Vehicle Policy) area before returning to the track. He then hit the outside wall again and broke a toe link. This ultimately ended his race.
NBC Sports reporter Kim Coon tried to ask Gibbs about the clash with Hamlin and the comments made about him. The third-year driver dodged these questions.
"It's unfortunate. I'm excited to go racing next week and looking forward to it," Gibbs said in response to the first question about Hamlin. He continued and answered the second by saying, "We're going to have a good race and looking forward to it."
Hamlin also avoided discussing the clash during his post-race interview with Dillon Welch.
"Well, super unfortunate, he got spun there and obviously, contact came from us," Hamlin said. "But yeah, I don't have any other comment other than that. Just had some contact in (Turn 1). It was obviously a really rough race before that."
