Kevin Harvick has expressed strong support for Chris Gayle as Denny Hamlin’s new crew chief in 2025, following the team’s third victory of the season. This new partnership has rejuvenated the veteran driver’s aspirations in the Denny Hamlin NASCAR championship 2025 pursuit, showing promising signs after a challenging end to last year’s campaign.
After a less-than-ideal finish to the 2024 playoffs, Hamlin’s season was looking uncertain. However, with Gayle stepping into the crew chief role, the Virginia native appears poised to challenge for the title once again. Harvick’s confidence stems from witnessing a fresh level of strategy and execution from the No. 11 team this season.
Strategic Excellence and Confidence Building at Michigan
Harvick highlighted the importance of Gayle’s strategic acumen following a recent win, particularly emphasizing race management skills essential to success at Michigan. The pit crew faced challenges during the final stop, but Gayle’s ability to manage fuel and strategy proved critical.
I thought Chris Gayle’s comments were interesting after the race, because the pit crew didn’t have a great stop, on the last stop, but him, from a crew chief standpoint, it sounded like he was — that was a great confidence builder for him, being able to manage that race. That’s a typical Michigan race. You’ve got to manage the fuel. You’ve got to manage the strategy. All the things that go with that. That’s part of being able to win at Michigan,
Harvick stated, via Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour.
Harvick continued, explaining how Gayle’s growing confidence in race strategy helps the entire team.
“I think, for Chris Gayle, having that confidence booster of being able to do all that and put them in Victory Lane, with being on the right sequence and having the fuel right and all the things that he did on that particular day, huge confidence booster. We’ve seen him win it with the pit crew. Now, we’ve seen him win it with strategy. We’ve seen Denny just beat the field. So, the No. 11 car definitely is starting to gather that momentum that they need, but they’ve got to carry it all the way through.”
Team Strength and Playoff Preparation Remain Crucial
With a solid foundation already in place, the team’s focus now shifts to maintaining pace and intensity throughout the season. Harvick pointed out the importance of sustaining the speed and mindset that Hamlin showed early on to avoid the pitfalls that ended last year’s playoff run prematurely.
We have to get through the end of the summer with the same speed. We have to start the playoffs with the same speed, the same mentality. Remember last year, playoff started and it just completely unraveled. So, they’ve done a great job of rebuilding this scenario, and putting Chris Gayle in there. I think they didn’t have to rebuild much, with the team being the same, but I think so far it’s been successful.
The three wins already earned have positioned Hamlin as a strong contender heading into the postseason, where every point gained could be decisive. Winning remains the quickest path to championship points and achieving that elusive title is now a clear focus for the experienced driver and his team.
Looking Ahead: Can Gayle Deliver a Championship?
As the season progresses, the spotlight will remain on how Gayle and Hamlin continue to collaborate to hold their momentum together. Their combined efforts have brought optimism and energy back to Hamlin’s racing season, fueling hopes for a championship push in 2025.
Hamlin’s experience, paired with Gayle’s emerging leadership, could mark a pivotal chapter for the veteran. The team’s ability to navigate the challenges of the NASCAR playoffs and sustain high-level performance will ultimately determine if they can secure the coveted championship this year.
