LOUDON, N.H. — Joe Gibbs Racing swept the opening round of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, with each of its contenders claiming victory in each of the first three races.
Those highs will almost seem like distant memories as tensions boiled over in Stage 2 during the Round of 12 opener at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, after contact from Denny Hamlin sent his non-playoff teammate Ty Gibbs around.
Battling for 11th at Lap 110, the Toyota drivers made contact exiting Turn 4, before Hamlin, a four-time winner this season and championship contender, sent Gibbs spinning into the Turn 1 wall.
RELATED: Race results | At-track photos
Frustrations boiled in real time for the driver of the No. 11 JGR Toyota as he keyed up to his team on the radio, questioning the decisions made by his young teammate in the laps before their contact.
“Does Ty know we‘re going for a championship? What the [expletive],” Hamlin radioed to his team. “Are they afraid to talk to him? That‘s what I feel like — they‘re scared of him.”
Gibbs and his No. 54 Camry rested against the inside wall while waiting for a tow back to the garage. The team assessed the damage and tried to return to the track before determining it was too severe to continue, ending Gibbs‘ race early.
The 22-year-old is the lone driver under the Joe Gibbs Racing banner not competing for the Bill France Cup after failing to make the postseason. He entered Sunday‘s race at New Hampshire 19th in points, the third highest among non-championship contenders.
Speaking with USA Network from the infield care center, Gibbs declined to comment on the incident.
“It‘s unfortunate, but I‘m excited to go race next week. I‘m looking forward to it,” he said. “We‘ll have a good race next week.”
Hamlin expressed his frustrations after the race at the one-mile facility as part of his media availability, noting that he made a mistake in the contact and wanted to step back and let others handle the fallout moving ahead.
“Well, I made a mistake in Turn 1. I would have made a mistake with anybody in that position,” Hamlin said on pit road. “I was trying to get by him; that was a task in itself.
“I’ll let leadership kind of quarterback it, however they’d like to. Obviously, us, [Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe], are all trying to win a championship for their family. So it’s crazy unfortunate why we’re racing the way we are.”
MORE: New Hampshire winner Blaney on racing teammates
The leadership Hamlin speaks of starts at the top with owner Joe Gibbs himself. Still carrying the moniker of “Coach” from his days as a professional football coach, doesn‘t feel it‘s necessary to call for a full team huddle quite yet.
“Those guys are the ones driving the cars,” Joe Gibbs said. “Those guys will get together on their own and figure it out.
“It‘s hard for me, it‘s not me, it‘s the drivers. That‘s how I‘ve always looked at this.”
Competition director Chris Gabehart also falls under the leadership, tasked with bringing both sides together when things seem far apart.
Hamlin‘s former crew chief, known for his ability to “rally the troops” when times are tough, will once again attempt to mend fences before the team treks to Kansas Speedway next weekend.
WATCH: NASCAR video highlights
“I think all of their viewpoints are going to be a little bit different,” Gabehart said. “The 54 and the 20 were in a tight space, and Denny was behind that and, you know, probably saw that circumstance, and was confused by it. And then when they run the 54 back down, you know, probably was looking for more of a break than he got. That’s what I would guess. That’s what I saw.
“The hard part is, you know, the 54 is trying to win races and make a name for himself as well. And, you know, so everybody needs more space than they have.”
When asked how the upcoming conversation will play out, Gabehart is hopeful that it will promote unity, where each driver can thrive in their own environment.
“This is the type of conversation that you know when you run well, you’re fortunate enough to have to have every so often,” Gabehart continued. “We’ll have to have that conversation again. But, you know, I think there’s a reasonable etiquette to follow, where everybody can get what they need out of it.
“But you know, at the same time, you can’t create an atmosphere where everybody just has to roll over and play nice all the time either, or you won’t hang as many banners as Joe Gibbs Racing has hung over the years.”