The season opener of High Limit racing may have been brutal, not just for Ty Gibbs but also for Joe Gibbs himself as a team owner and a grandfather. Yet despite Ty’s horrendous crash in the dirt racing series, the Coach is not backing away from his promise of non-intervention.

Ty Gibbs was involved in a crash in the dirt racing series, just a day before his Cup Series race. He made contact with Corey Day and was lucky to walk away uninjured, despite his car being wrecked after multiple barrel rolls. Despite this, he finished fifth at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Until 2024, Joe Gibbs had a policy that prevented his racers from competing in other series. On being asked about it in the light of his grandson’s crash, he reiterated that his drivers are free to compete in other series during the week and return to the Cup Series.

He said, “It was Ty, Christopher, and it was Chase also; all of them had something to do with their stuff.

I originally wasn't in one spot when thinking about it. Changed my mind. I decided those guys, really, to be truthful, don't have a lot else in the off-season. I made that decision, I am always concerned about it, I'll put it that way,” he added.

This is quite a contrast to how things used to be pre-2024. Kyle Busch, who was once a part of JGR, spoke on the Actions Detrimental podcast about his attempt to race in the IndyCar 500 and how it fell apart, as Gibbs did not want his drivers risking injuries elsewhere.

He mentioned OEMs and sponsors giving him the green light, but the Coach famously restricted him from competing outside of NASCAR.

However Denny Hamlin’s victory bought a moment of relief as well

It was a good day for JGR at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, with all four drivers finishing in the top 11. But for Denny Hamlin, this victory was a big one, as it came following a lot of his off-track battles.

In 2025, as a co-owner of 23XI Racing, Hamlin was involved in the infamous antitrust lawsuit. Later that year, he tragically lost his father in a house fire that also left his mother in a critical condition. Thankfully, she survived and saw her son win the race.

During the post-race interview, Joe Gibbs recalled Hamlin’s earlier days, from when he was a shy youngster who had to be pushed for a conversation. He also noted the driver’s ability to stay focused and be competitive on the track despite his personal battles.

“Obviously, he went through a lot last year. everything with his parents to see Mary Lou out there right now. I think it was a big deal for her, the family, and so I just appreciate them so much. I miss Dennis, and so he's been through a lot.

Denny seems to have the ability to just, you know, continue to work through things and has a way of just really still being very competitive.

I mean, we're really riding Denny for about 20 years here. So it's been an awful good trip for us,” he stated.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Aaradhya Singh

Edited by

Kaamna Dwivedi