Denny Hamlin and crew chief Chris Gabehart have accomplished nearly everything that can be done at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, except win.
Hamlin has led the most laps, he’s earned the most stage points and statistically been the fastest car at various times, but the crew-chief driver duo has yet to triumph together at the .525-mile paperclip-shaped track.
“Any stat you want to talk about, we’ve done it,” Gabehart said. “But, you know, that doesn’t mean anything. You’ve got to get to the checkered flag first.”
Hamlin has muscled the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing entry to victory lane at Martinsville five times during his Cup Series career, under the guidance of crew chiefs Mike Ford and Dave Rogers, but it’s been eight years since he took home one of Martinsville’s famed grandfather clock trophies.
This Sunday, Hamlin will be under pressure to add a sixth win at the Virginia facility.
The No. 11 team is ranked seventh in the Round of 8, 17 points below the cutline. With Martinsville being the cutoff race for the Championship 4, Gabehart understands it’s all or nothing for Hamlin this weekend.
“The Round of 8 is really the same every year,” Gabehart explained. “I can tell you that you better go to win every race, and you have to keep track of the points, but you have to look at stage one as, ‘Oh, I need to win the stage.’ And that’s not because of the points, it’s because you need the track position.”
If there’s one upside to the must-win situation the team is facing, it’s the clarity it offers Gabehart when making decisions atop the pit box. With points racing thrown out the window, the crew chief can focus solely on the end game — winning and advancing to the Championship 4.
“The expectations for me are really simple,” Gabehart said. “Bristol Night Race, I’ve made very clear it means a lot to me. I’ve won it. Southern 500 means a lot to me. I’ve won it. Daytona 500 would mean a lot to everybody. I’ve won it.
“Martinsville is a big one for a lot of unique reasons. Very cool trophy, very iconic track in our sport.”
However, neither Gabehart, nor Hamlin, can forget how Martinsville bit them last year.
The No. 11 Toyota was inches away from clinching a spot in the Championship 4, until Ross Chastain pulled the “Hail Melon” and rode the wall out of turn four, squeezing past Hamlin at the finish line to steal the transfer position.
That’s why, other than winning Sunday’s race, Gabehart is antsy to avoid any desperate moves that may be pulled by the five other drivers — William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Tyler Reddick, Martin Truex Jr. and Chris Buescher — who are also hoping to lock into the final playoff round.
“There’s no other sport like auto racing,” Gabehart said. “There are literally thousands of possibilities on our car that could go wrong, and ours is just one of 38 and it’s just one of 500 laps — it could happen at any given time. He (Denny) says it all the time, we’re the only sport where somebody else’s mistake can cost you.”
Other than last year, Gabehart and Hamlin have made the Championship 4 every season since they paired together in 2019, with their best performance being third in 2021. There’s no doubt the No. 11 team has once again displayed championship potential, with three wins, 13 top-five finishes and 828 laps led.
Hamlin’s mantra — “This is our year” — has caught on with the crew, as they’ve watched their efforts pay off.
Even so, Gabehart isn’t looking at their results sheet when he’s searching for the inspiration to enter the ring, pick up the boxing gloves and fight once again. Considering how close Hamlin and Gabehart have come to the championship in the past, the crew chief has to rely on the deeper meaning.
“It can’t be the result that motivates you or it won’t be enough. You have to do it for the love of the game. You have to do it because you love to do it,” Gabehart said. “You love the process of the pursuit of perfection, and you wake up every day trying to do it better than the day before.
“If you do that, you’re worthy of the championship.”