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Denny Hamlin’s Crew Chief Pushes Back on Rule Change Talk

Denny Hamlin's crew chief Chris Gayle says NASCAR's splitter change hasn't helped Toyota, but one race at Kansas is too small a sample to judge.

Published: Friday, 2 October 2026 at 10:57 PM
Denny Hamlin’s Crew Chief Pushes Back on Rule Change Talk
Key Things to Know
  • Chris Gayle pushed back against claims that NASCAR's splitter rule change cost Toyota its competitive edge.
  • Gayle noted that one race is not enough evidence to prove the rule change negatively affected performance.
  • Gayle serves as the crew chief for Denny Hamlin and the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team.
The Story in 60 Seconds

Chris Gayle, crew chief for Denny Hamlin's No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, has pushed back against claims surrounding NASCAR's recent rule modifications. Gayle argued that a single race is insufficient to determine whether a splitter rule change negatively impacted Toyota's competitive performance.

His comments follow wider ongoing discussions and potential adjustments to NASCAR's rules packages, including recent superspeedway changes ahead of Talladega and potential post-season updates to qualifying metrics.

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