Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared his thoughts on the L2 level penalty imposed on Denny Hamlin following a significant error by Toyota. He expressed that the situation turned into a “huge disappointment” for both Hamlin and his team at Joe Gibbs Racing.
As the 25th Cup Series weekend approaches at Daytona International Speedway, both Hamlin and JGR have faced a deduction of 75 regular season points and 10 playoff points. Additionally, crew chief Chris Gabehart has been fined $100,000 due to the violation.
This penalty stems from a statement by David Wilson, president of Toyota Racing Development USA, who acknowledged a “serious mistake” in disassembling and rebuilding the engine that won at Bristol without prior approval from NASCAR officials.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. expressed his “wild” reaction to the turmoil resulting from Toyota’s error. He noted that Bristol was primarily a race focused on tire management, suggesting that the engine’s performance was less critical on the half-mile track. He shared his thoughts on X, stating, “Wild. Happened in March. And at Bristol where motor doesn’t really matter (gives me confidence there was no real intention). Also considering what was going on with the tire management during the race. Big big disappointment for DH and crew.”
The violation involved Sections 14.7.1.E, 14.7.1.F, and 14.7.1.1.B&E, as outlined by NASCAR.
According to Section 14.7.1.E:
Race-winning engines must be sealed as long blocks by NASCAR and are required to undergo a thorough inspection by NASCAR before any disassembly by the team. If the team opts to use the long block sealed race-winning engine again prior to inspection, it must be utilized in the same vehicle number for its next race.
Section 14.7.1.F states:
“The seals on a long block engine assembly must not be tampered with, removed, or replaced.”
Sections 14.7.1.1.B&E specify:
“Seals cannot be removed without NASCAR’s prior consent,” and “if a race-winning engine is sealed and later presented for post-race inspection with damaged, altered, or missing seals, an L2 Penalty will be imposed.”
In light of this, Denny Hamlin has slipped from third to sixth place in the regular season standings, although his playoff position remains intact.
Nonetheless, Dale Earnhardt Jr. suggests that Bristol may not be the ideal venue for risking any illegal modifications.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. minimizes the likelihood of Toyota making unauthorized modifications to their high-performance engine for the Bristol race.
Bristol Motor Speedway stands out as the fastest half-mile track in NASCAR, featuring steep banking of 24-28 degrees in the turns. The Nextgen cars, however, come with lower horsepower, making it challenging for drivers to navigate through traffic and overtake. Therefore, any attempt at unapproved engine tweaks could backfire, ultimately harming the team’s performance.
Earnhardt Jr. pointed out that Bristol isn’t the ideal venue for teams to experiment with their engines.
“If you’re going to play tricks with the engine, Bristol isn’t the place to take that risk,” Junior stated on X.
The 2024 Bristol race turned out to be more about managing tires than showcasing engine power. Even though the same tire code was used at the half-mile oval, the outcomes varied significantly from last September’s race to this March’s event.
Last year, the tire compounds lasted for 130 laps, but this time they only held up for about 50 laps. Denny Hamlin emerged victorious in both races.
