Denny Hamlin said he had no clue Joe Gibbs Racing was going to name his crew chief, Chris Gabehart, as competition director. There was no input, no advance dialogue, and just a called meeting where Hamlin was told that he would be paired with Chris Gayle in 2025 — who is coming off a stint with Ty Gibbs and the No.

Denny Hamlin conceded that he was caught by surprise after learning that Chris Gabehart would no longer be serving as crew chief for the No. 11 Toyota.

Denny Hamlin said Friday he was "shocked" to learn crew chief Chris Gabehart will move into a new role with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2025.