Denny Hamlin: Margin For Error is Gone After TRD Sealed Engine Penalty
After last weekend's race at Michigan International Speedway, Denny Hamlin thought he was firmly in the fight for the NASCAR Cup Series regular season championship, and the 43-year-old had the Playoff benefit of three race wins in his back pocket. However, this week, NASCAR issued an L2-level penalty to Hamlin's No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team for a sealed engine infraction for the motor that was in his race-winning car at Bristol Motor Speedway in April.
That penalty wiped away Hamlin's chances at the regular season title, as he lost 75 championship driver points, and it also wiped away 10 Playoff Points from the bucket that he had worked so hard to fill throughout the opening 24 races of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season.
It was a tough blow, and Hamlin says the sting from the penalty news has yet to subside as he prepares for Saturday night's Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
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"I certainly don't feel any better than I did finding out in the moment," Hamlin detailed in a media bullpen session. "It's just really hard in this kind of format, where you work so hard in the regular season, right, to get all of those bonus points. It's really tough to just see them wiped away. It's part of it, and we just have to overcome that."
Hamlin says he was made aware of the infraction, which Toyota Racing Development admits was 100% its fault, when David Wilson of TRD called a meeting for Thursday. As Hamlin and his crew chief Chris Gabehart walked into the room, Hamlin saw the only other people there were Coach Joe Gibbs and Wilson. He knew at that moment, there was a problem.
Despite the mistake, which Hamlin called, "collosal," he says he still feels bad that TRD had to even deliver that type of news to him.
"They, obviously, were very regrettable to have to give me that information when they did. So, I feel bad for them, because I knew that they didn't want to have to take me bring me into a room and tell me we're going to have something that's going to affect our season," Hamlin said.
There's no time to cry over spilled milk, though as there are only two races before the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs are set to begin. And this weekend's race at Daytona International Speedway is at a track that is in Hamlin's wheel-house. He'll have to do whatever he can on Saturday night to try to recoup some of his lost Playoff Points.
"You just gotta, 'so what, now what,' I mean, you have to just figure out what's the best path forward. And the best path is just to win, right? Win, and just make sure you can finish races the best you can," Hamlin explained. "Obviously, our room for error is gone now. And we'll just hope to get through the rounds."
In his 19-year NASCAR Cup Series career, the Virginia native has suffered some truly heartbreaking defeats in pursuit of a NASCAR Cup Series championship. It feels like he's seen it all. From self spinning with a point advantage heading into the final race of the year, to his team applying too much tape to the front grille on the final pit stop of the championship race, he's found just about every way you can find to lose a championship.
If Hamlin misses out on the NASCAR Cup Series championship for the 19th time in 2024, he feels the penalty for the sealed engine violation will top the cake of bizarre reasons he hasn't hoisted a Bill France Cup.
"This definitely tops it, for sure," Hamlin said. "Because it was something that didn't happen in a certain moment, right? It was, hey we have to go back and tell you about what happened a while ago.' But should I be surprised? I don't think so. But it's hard to not feel and be negative in the moment, and I am in the moment. I feel negative about it. Not about the decision or anything like that, but just about our season and potentially what it could or couldn't do."
When asked what is it about him that has led to all of these weird types of situations, Hamlin shook his head.
"I wish I had an answer, because it's so random," Hamlin said. "The things that are happening are absolutely random. And so, it's not the -- it's still up to us to go out there and win races and perform. And I think if we had the results to equal the same as our performance, we'll make it and everything will be fine. It's just the sample size is about to get real small and it just takes away all of that room for error in a time where our sport can be rained on."
Hamlin, who will roll from the 19th position on the starting grid, will attempt to right the ship for himself and his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team in Saturday night's NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, the penultimate race of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season.
TOBY CHRISTIE