FINAL WARNING FROM JOE GIBBS TO DENNY HAMLIN AFTER ALLEGED “RAPING” AT SOUTH POINT 400: “TAKE IT OR QUIT” – WORLD OF NASCAR PARTITION
In a shocking development just days after Denny Hamlin’s controversial victory at the South Point 400, team owner Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) gave his star driver a final warning: “Take it or leave it.” The incident revolved around allegations that Hamlin “blocked” the tires of teammate Ty Gibbs during a fateful collision, leading to an accident that forced Gibbs to leave the track early. This incident not only sparked a wave of criticism from the NASCAR community but also threatened the internal solidarity of one of the world’s leading racing teams.
The South Point 400, the opening round of the Round of 8 playoffs of the NASCAR Cup Series, taking place on Sunday, October 12, 2025 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, saw Hamlin pass teammate Chase Briscoe in the final laps to win the 60th victory of his career – equaling Kevin Harvick’s record. However, the joy of victory was quickly overshadowed by the collision on lap 156, when Hamlin’s car No.11 was accused of intentionally squeezing Ty Gibbs’ No.54 car, leading to the fifth accident of the race. Gibbs, Joe Gibbs’s nephew and promising young driver, was eliminated from the game, while Hamlin continued to lead the race to glory.
The accusation of “blocking” – referring to the fact that Hamlin is suspected of intentionally causing a collision to eliminate an internal rival to protect his playoff position – has spread rapidly on social networks and NASCAR forums. Some garage sources said that Gibbs used the “uncontrolled tire” tactic to gain an advantage, but Hamlin was said to have “retaliated” too much by forcing the car, leading to an accident. “That’s not racing, that’s team sabotage,” an anonymous source from the Trackhouse Racing team commented on Hamlin’s Actions Detrimental podcast.
The reaction from Joe Gibbs, legendary NFL coach and JGR boss, came on Wednesday (October 15, 2025) in a closed-door meeting with riders. According to inside sources, Gibbs bluntly told Hamlin to “take responsibility or leave the team.” “We’re a family, not enemies. Denny, you went too far in New Hampshire, and now Las Vegas. This is the last time – take it or leave it,” Gibbs was quoted as saying, recalling a similar collision between Hamlin and Gibbs at New Hampshire Motor Speedway just two weeks ago. This meeting, attended by Heather Gibbs (Joe Gibbs’ daughter-in-law) and other racers such as Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe, was described as “productive and tense”.
Hamlin, who leads the playoffs points table and is aiming for his first championship in 19 seasons, admitted partial error. In a press conference before the next race at Kansas Speedway, he said: “I was hot-tempered, and that collision went over the line. We discussed, and I pledged to race more fairly with the guys on the team. But on the track, everything happened quickly – I didn’t mean to sabotage Ty.” However, Ty Gibbs remained silent, only posting a story on Instagram with the vague words: “Moving forward”, along with a picture of a severely damaged car.
This incident is reminiscent of NASCAR’s scandalous history of “cheating”, where teams often take advantage of “gray areas” in regulations to gain an advantage. Hamlin was the one who called for NASCAR to tighten control over cheating on his podcast in March 2025, after the incident involving Parker Kligerman and Chase Briscoe. Ironic, unfortunately, is now in the eye of a storm of similar accusations. Experts like Kevin Harvick said: “JGR is at a crossroads. If not resolved, it will destroy their playoffs season.”
The NASCAR community is divided. On Reddit, a thread with more than 200 comments called Hamlin “two-faced”, while loyal fans defended him as “a victim of playoffs pressure”. NASCAR has not officially investigated, but president Steve O’Donnell said: “We will closely monitor internal collisions during the playoffs.”
With the upcoming Hollywood Casino 400 in Kansas on Sunday (October 19, 2025), all eyes are on JGR. Will Joe Gibbs’ “take it or leave it” warning be enough to heal the rift, or is this the beginning of a larger civil war? The NASCAR world is waiting with bated breath – because in this fast-paced sport, trust is more fragile than the tires on the track.
