Chris Gabehart, who moved from serving as Denny Hamlin’s full-time crew chief to the role of Director of Competition for Joe Gibbs Racing just last year, has left the team as of Wednesday, December 3, 2025. The news was confirmed through Jenna Fryer of the Associated Press on X, and later shared by famous YouTuber and NASCAR insider Eric Estepp.Neither Joe Gibbs Racing nor Gabehart himself has commented on the matter. Rumors swirl around the garage area that Gabehart might end up at Spire Motorsports, another North Carolina-based race team operating in the NASCAR Cup Series.On that note, Estepp shared a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) and wrote,“Big big news.... potentially a huge loss for JGR. Spire rumors keep picking up.”Chris Gabehart spent six years calling races for Hamlin, winning a total of 22 points races between 2019 and 2024. During the period, the driver never finished lower than eighth in championship standings. In 2025, which happens to be his first season without Gabehart’s pit road assistance, Hamlin finished second in points.During his final days at Joe Gibbs Racing, Chris Gabehart was working closely with Ty Gibbs, Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate and driver of the No. 54 Toyota Camry. The young racing phenom won the NASCAR Xfinity Series title in 2022, but since joining JGR’s Cup program, he has yet to capture a victory.Next up for the drivers is the Cook Out Clash at Winston-Salem’s iconic Bowman Gray Stadium. Scheduled for February 1, 2026, the 200-lap event will be televised live on FOX starting from 8 pm ET. Fans can listen to exclusive radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio as well.Denny Hamlin reveals his annual Joe Gibbs Racing salary during ongoing NASCAR trial23XI Racing, owned by Cup Series veteran Denny Hamlin, is currently in a legal battle with NASCAR. The trial is on its fourth day, with Hamlin taking the stand on the first two days.As reported by Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal, Hamlin disclosed an important detail from his ongoing contract with Joe Gibbs Racing. He confirmed that his annual salary with the organization was around $14 million.Here is the post that Stern uploaded on X:Adam Stern @A_S12LINK.@NASCAR external counsel Lawrence Buterman said 23XI/FRM are asking for $205 million in damages, that this would be a 900% ROI from what 23XI has invested and grilled @DennyHamlin about whether that is a fair ROI.➡️ Hamlin also confirmed his JGR salary is around $14M annually.Although NASCAR teams aren’t required to disclose tidbits from their driver contracts, Hamlin’s confirmation suggests how much a senior NASCAR driver like him earns per year. Right now, the Tampa, Florida-native is in his off-season with his eyes set on the 68th Daytona 500 (February 15, FOX, 2:30 pm ET), which is also the first points race of the 2026 season.