Joe Gibbs has spoken about Denny Hamlin's win at Las Vegas on Sunday, specifically noting the family element to the aftermath.
Hamlin's mother, fiancee and children were all present to see him break a tie with Kevin Harvick for the tenth most race wins in Cup Series history, a poignant moment after the tragic death of his father in a house fire late last year.
Gibbs, whose Joe Gibbs Racing team Hamlin has driven for since his Cup debut in 2005, talked to media on Sunday about his driver's maturation since he arrived more than two decades ago, and admitted he misses Dennis Hamlin.
The Gibbs and Hamlin families have been closely intertwined over the course of the 45-year-old driver's career, with Hamlin's son even named Jameson Drew in part to honour JD Gibbs – Coach Gibbs' son, who Hamlin was close to, and who died in 2019.
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Joe Gibbs: I appreciate the Hamlin family so much
Speaking in a press conference after Sunday's race, Coach Gibbs said: I think Denny has gone through a process that all of you have seen it. I have seen it. From when he first got here, very shy. You had to push to get him to have a conversation with you.
"Today he’s got a podcast. He’s got a lot going on.
"Obviously went through a lot last year, everything with his parents. To see Mary Lou out there right now, I think this is a big deal for her and the family. I just appreciate them so much. Miss Dennis.
"He’s been through a lot. Denny seems to have the ability to continue to work through things. Has a way of just really still being very competitive. He stays in a sim, hard work, really after it. I appreciate him so much. We’re riding Denny for about 20 years. It’s been an awful good trip for us."
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