Gabehart back on the pit box with Gibbs

Chris Gabehart climbed off the Ty Gibbs pit box and smiled.

“Surprise,” he said.

Yes, Gabehart was back atop a NASCAR Cup Series pit box on Saturday night at EchoPark Speedway. The former crew chief for Denny Hamlin and now competition director for Joe Gibbs Racing will be serving as an additional asset for the No. 54 team of Gibbs and crew chief Tyler Allen for the foreseeable future.

Gibbs is the only driver from the organization who has not won and is not locked into the postseason.

“It’s no secret that what I’m most familiar with is these game-time situations,” Gabehart told RACER. “There are a lot of other things I do throughout the week, but the decision was made once we got three of the four [locked] in to put all we could put behind the [No.] 54 to try to get it in, too, and when you have a bench that’s got assets on it, you use it. That’s part of it.”

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“First off, I think the [No.] 54 with Tyler leading it has come a tremendous way throughout this year,” Gabehart said. “That’s now three out of four races that they have been in contention for the win late, and that’s a testament to the work that Tyler and Cheddar [Robert Smit] have been doing. But certainly, I’ve pushed that button a lot throughout the years, and there is a lot that goes into strapping the headset on and having to push the button, too.

“So, it’s one more set of eyes and ears, and kind of an ability to put some emphasis behind a decision that might be difficult in other situations, with Tyler pushing the button. This is an add. It’s not a change. We’ll see how it goes.”

Gibbs finished 11th after leading 32 laps. In the last four races, he has finished 14th or better and has led a combined 59 laps.

“I think we’ve been good lately,” said Gibbs. “Unfortunately, [Ty Dillon] drove us into the fence there, and I got tight. So, I would have had a better shot, but I had a fun time.”

Gabehart was also on the team radio Saturday night when needed. At times, that included speaking directly to Gibbs to give him information.

“It’s really helpful,” Gibbs said of Gabehart’s addition and radio communication. “He’s been really helpful - the whole team is - and Tyler has done a great job as well. So, I have a fun team and we’re just taking it as we get it.”

There are eight races left in the regular season, and Gibbs is 24th in the championship standings. Although he earned a berth in the 2024 postseason on points, Gibbs is of the impression that his team will probably have to win its way in this time.

As for Gabehart getting to make that climb back atop a pit box and overseeing things from pit road, it naturally felt all too familiar.

“Well, it’s very different to be on a different box,” he said. “But certainly, the rest of it was like a glove. You don’t, at least in this short of time, forget how to do it. You just have to learn all the people and circumstances, and the driver, and their tendencies, and the spotter. I can’t believe I didn’t call Tony [Hirschman, the spotter] ‘Lambert’ one time today. That’s a shock.

“So, it’s not easy and it’s not seamless, but it’s an attempt to put all of our resources into getting that fourth car in.”