NASCAR Notes: Gayle Is Up To The Problem

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — When Chris Gayle took over as crew chief for Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota throughout the offseason, he knew there was stress to carry out.

Gayle, who beforehand referred to as the pictures on JGR’s No. 54 pushed by Ty Gibbs, was stepping in for Chris Gabehart, who had guided Hamlin via six Cup Sequence seasons and 22 victories. Gabehart was promoted to JGR’s competitors director place.

Gayle didn’t fear concerning the stress and he’s led Hamlin and the No. 11 staff to consecutive Cup Sequence triumphs at Martinsville (Va.) Speeedway and Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

“I don’t fear about it, to be sincere with you. I used to be frightened about that first one. I’m coming in filling massive footwear for Gabehart,” Gayle mentioned Sunday. “He’s been with Denny that lengthy. I’m the one change. I’m not naïve sufficient to know that. I wanted to win and win early.

“Final week was nice. We had been in a position to win with a distinct setup, with one thing we labored on, got here up with and have automobile velocity, to get that out of the best way,” Gayle famous. “This one, I used to be stunned. We clearly simply had the suitable state of affairs. You’re taking these, proper? You’re taking all those that you may steal someway, then get all those that you simply’re the strongest automobile, you’ll be in fine condition.”

• Grizzly Nicotine Pouches will turn out to be the first sponsor on Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 Chevrolet with driver A.J. Allmendinger for 4 NASCAR Cup Sequence races.

Kaulig Racing’s Ty Dillon debuted the Grizzly Nicotine Pouches partnership on the 2025 Daytona 500 as a part of a nine-race sponsorship.

“We’ve got labored laborious on our Cup program, and it’s beginning to bear fruit with our on-track product and elevated partnerships,” mentioned Kaulig Racing staff president Chris Rice. “We’re in a progress interval and centered on upward trajectory, so it’s superior that companions be ok with what we’re delivering to develop their program with us.  I’m so pleased with Ty Dillon and the way he has carried out and engaged with the Grizzly Nicotine Pouches staff, and everybody at Kaulig Racing is worked up this system will now embrace AJ.”

• Ross Chastain completed seventh at Darlington and proclaimed the 1.336-mile observe one in all his favorites.

“It was a heat one at this time at Darlington in our Busch Mild Fishing Chevy. We labored our approach as much as the top-15 early within the race with changes,” Chastain mentioned. “We received caught by that one warning in the midst of the race simply after we pitted beneath inexperienced. So we needed to take the wave round and work our approach again up via the sector. Phil and the blokes made good changes and we had been in a position to stand up within the high 10 and we completed seventh. Darlington is one in all my favourite tracks and I’m trying ahead to Bristol subsequent weekend.”

• Christopher Bell completed third on Sunday aboard the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, however he discovered his day at Darlington to be a bit puzzling.

“That was a perplexing race. Even now pondering again on it, I don’t know what to assume. Originally of the day, the automobile efficiency was not nice, not able to operating contained in the top-20,” Bell defined. “The entire sudden, we received that yellow that put me within the entrance and I might keep the tempo. I don’t know. These vehicles are very complicated, however total, nice execution from our staff and we made one thing out of being within the again. Received a fortunate break, then was in a position to execute on pitstops and restarts, and walked out of right here with a high 5.”

• Ty Gibbs completed ninth for his first top-10 end of the season.

“It’s good for certain. I do know we’ll get extra of these, however it was a very good enchancment,” Gibbs mentioned. “I’m not too frightened; really feel like we’ll be okay. Simply proceed to get everybody reps and determine it out. Excited for what the longer term holds. Know we’ll be good.”

• Chris Buescher introduced his RFK Racing Ford house sixth on Sunday, gathering his fifth top-10 end in eight races this season.

“We had a very quick Fifth Third Financial institution Ford Mustang,” Buescher mentioned. “I’m actually pleased with everyone. We made some actually good changes after apply and received it respectable for qualifying and actually good within the race. That premature warning simply received us and put us behind for almost all of it, so we clawed our approach out of it with some good pit calls. The pit crew did a very nice job at this time and we received again within the hunt there by the top. We simply wanted a pair extra laps and we most likely would have been just a little higher than among the vehicles, however it’s laborious to say. We simply received a troublesome break with that one warning.”