The thrilling battle between Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin at Phoenix Raceway sparked conversations about teammate dynamics at Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR). During the Happy Hour Podcast, Kevin Harvick addressed Bell, asking if there were ever discussions at JGR about how teammates should race each other. “I’m sure you’ve witnessed a few of them as you’ve gone through the years,” Kevin Harvick said, referencing the intensity of intra-team competition.

The 2010 NASCAR All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway is a notable example of the intense rivalry at JGR between Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin. During this event, Hamlin and Busch engaged in a heated battle for the lead, with Hamlin pushing Busch up the track and into the wall. Hamlin even sent Busch a pair of boxing gloves to settle the on-track altercation!

Over the years, JGR has seen some of the most intense in-house rivalries, and the team has had no shortage of fireworks between drivers sharing the same garage. Every racer wants to be the guy! But what’s fascinating is that Joe Gibbs doesn’t seem to discourage this rivalry. Rather, they embrace it. Recently, Bell peeled back the curtain on JGR’s in-team competition culture. Emphasizing why JGR has been such a dominant team in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Christopher Bell reveals ‘team over individual’ culture at Joe Gibbs Racing

The Phoenix battle, where Hamlin finished just 0.049 seconds behind Bell, was just another instance in JGR’s long history of hard racing between teammates. For instance, the 2019 NASCAR season was marked by a notable rivalry between Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. Despite their friendly nature, they engaged in intense on-track battles, with Truex ultimately leading the series in wins with seven victories.

Christopher Bell didn’t hesitate to reveal the reality of racing within JGR. “It’s pretty interesting, the culture at JGR really is just… I mean, I guess it’s a dog-eat-dog world. We race each other so hard, and I’ve felt wronged by teammates in the past, and I’ve talked to Adam (Stevens, crew chief of the #20) about it and he’s like, ‘It’s just the way it is,’” Bell admitted. This statement captured the essence of the high-stakes, no-holds-barred competition within the team. Unlike other teams that may enforce team orders, JGR allows its drivers to race aggressively, often resulting in fireworks.

Denny Hamlin also admitted on his Actions Detrimental podcast that Bell was just racing hard and did not do anything unwarranted to claim the win. This comes even though Bell slid Hamlin up the track, entering Turn 4, to win the race. “I don’t think he did anything dirty. Did he do me any favors? No,” said Hamlin, emphasizing the respectful yet hard racing within JGR.

Despite the intense competition, the team culture at JGR emphasizes balance. As Bell shared, “It is, you know, race each other as hard as you can but but be fair and make sure one of them wins.” Even Bell had the thought at the back of his mind in the final couple of turns of the race. “I told myself, ‘I said no matter what happens, I have to make sure that if I don’t win, Denny wins.”. This strict code ensures that while the rivalry within the team is fierce, there’s a mutual respect for the goal: victory — no matter which driver claims it.

Examining the season so far for Joe Gibbs Racing

At the 2025 Daytona 500, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chase Briscoe secured a fourth-place finish, while Denny Hamlin finished 23rd, and Ty Gibbs placed 24th. Bell had to settle for a DNF as he got involved in a wreck. This mixed bag of results set the stage for the season, with Briscoe’s strong performance, securing JGR’s first ever Daytona 500 pole, highlighting the team’s potential.

Christopher Bell covered up for the Daytona loss with three consecutive wins – Atlanta, COTA, and Phoenix. What makes this achievement even more remarkable is that they are all different track types. A superspeedway, a road course, and a short, flat oval. Meanwhile, Hamlin has shown good performances with a 6th-place finish at Atlanta, and he would have had a podium finish at the Daytona 500 if not for the last lap wreck ignited by Haas Factory team’s Cole Custer, which saw him spin out along with race leader Austin Cindric.

JGR’s other drivers, Chase Briscoe and Ty Gibbs, have had a rather forgettable start to the 2025 season with mid to low-field results. Ty Gibbs, in particular, has to prove himself as he has finished in the mid-20s and 30s in the three races following Daytona and has just one top-20 finish in his last eight races. A dismal showing from Joe Gibbs’ grandson.

Looking ahead, the upcoming race at Las Vegas presents another solid opportunity for JGR. At Las Vegas, Hamlin has historically performed well. He had won at the racetrack in 2021 and has consistently finished in the top 10s. Meanwhile, Bell’s recent form suggests he could also contend. Although he hasn’t won there, he showed potential last year when he finished 2nd at the South Point 400.

So what do you think? Is Joe Gibbs Racing the team to beat this year? Or is this early season honeymoon period going to come to an end in Las Vegas next week? Let us know in the comments!