Denny Hamlin was inches away from victory at the Shriners Children’s 500, but Christopher Bell’s inside move secured his third consecutive win. While Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) celebrated a 1-2 finish, Coach Joe Gibbs had concerns about potential friction between teammates.
Watching the race unfold left Gibbs uneasy. “‘Nervous’ isn’t even the word. I felt like I was going to be sick,” he admitted. “When two of our cars battle like that, it makes for a tense meeting the next day. But they raced clean, and I appreciate that.”
Gibbs has witnessed teammate tensions before, notably in 2010 when Hamlin and Kyle Busch’s feud cost JGR a win. While this time Hamlin and Bell kept their battle clean, Gibbs remains cautious, especially given Hamlin’s recent podcast remarks.
“Nobody frustrates me more than a winning teammate. I love Bell, but I don’t want him to beat me,” Hamlin had said.
After the race, Hamlin acknowledged the tough loss but credited his team. “I knew Bell would send it. We just ran out of racetrack. Great job by JGR for giving us fast cars.”
Bell, meanwhile, highlighted the intensity of their duel. “Neither of us could clear the other. We raced hard to the finish. JGR 1-2—how about that?”
Despite the tension, JGR dominated at Phoenix. Bell led 105 laps and edged out Hamlin by just 0.049 seconds, reminiscent of Kyle Larson’s 2021 dominance.
For Hamlin, a runner-up finish was still progress after placing sixth in Atlanta. With strong tracks ahead like Bristol and Martinsville, his shot at victory is far from over.
Chase Briscoe’s Rough JGR Debut
While JGR celebrated Bell’s win, newcomer Chase Briscoe’s debut was a disaster. A multi-car wreck at Phoenix ruined his first race in the No. 19 Toyota Camry.
Briscoe had been running in the top 10 when tight racing led to contact, triggering a seven-car pileup. He spun out, collecting Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney in the chaos.
“Not the start I wanted with JGR,” Briscoe admitted. “Things just got out of hand fast.”
The crash dropped him to 28th place, but JGR crew chief James Small defended him. “Chase was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. We’ll bounce back.”
Now, Briscoe heads to Las Vegas, looking to shake off his rough debut and prove he belongs at JGR.
