For a team that dominated the Round of 16 and looked unbeatable, what happens when a rift appears? That is exactly what the New Hampshire race last weekend tested. Around Lap 110, Denny Hamlin, a championship contender, and Ty Gibbs, out of the playoff hunt, clashed while battling for 11th. Even fellow playoff driver Christopher Bell, chasing critical stage points, was subject to this. Exiting Turn 4, fed up, Hamlin made contact, sending Gibbs spinning into the Turn 1 wall and ending his day. And as no stranger to teammate drama, who better than Brad Keselowski to give his two cents on it?
Right after the race, Hamlin owned the mistake but didn’t hide his irritation, griping that Gibbs was “hard to pass” at a make-or-break moment. Gibbs kept it cool, calling it “ unfortunate ” and piv