In the blink of an eye, just 0.09 mph, Martin Truex Jr.’s title dreams took a nosedive at the Bristol Motor Speedway. Truex Jr., a seasoned driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, was in the running for a solid finish at the 2024 Bass Pro Shops Night Race. But that tiny margin over the pit lane speed limit cost him dearly—a speeding penalty that sent him to the back of the field, dashing his hopes of a championship victory in his final full-time Cup Series season. Instead of a fairytale ending, Truex Jr. had to settle for a 24th-place finish, a far cry from the glory he’d hoped for.
Meanwhile, his teammate Denny Hamlin had better luck, finishing fourth at the same short track and securing his spot in the Round of 12. Reflecting on the race and Truex Jr.’s misfortune, Hamlin shared insights on his podcast Actions Detrimental, specifically addressing how his team handles the risk of speeding penalties. He explained how his crew chief, Chris Gabehart, approaches these high-pressure situations, and how Hamlin tries to avoid making the same mistake that cost his teammate so much.
Martin Truex Jr. seemed poised for success at Bristol. After securing fourth place in qualifying, he maintained his position through the first stage of the race. By the end of the second stage, he had climbed to second place, picking up 16 valuable points along the way. With just 14 points separating him from the playoff cutline, it looked like Truex Jr. might just pull off the comeback he needed.
However, everything changed during a pit stop late in the race. On Lap 170, Truex Jr. entered the pit lane for what should have been a routine stop. At that moment, he was running second and his team executed a flawless pit stop. But in his rush to get back on track, Truex Jr. exceeded the pit lane speed limit by the slimmest of margins—0.09 mph. It was a minor mistake, but in NASCAR, even the smallest missteps can have major consequences. The resulting speeding penalty forced Truex Jr. to start from the back of the pack.
On a track like Bristol, where overtaking is notoriously difficult, Truex Jr. found himself stuck, unable to make much progress after the penalty. Despite his best efforts, the 44-year-old driver couldn’t claw his way back into the top 20, finishing in a disappointing 24th place. The penalty not only ruined his night but also shattered his hopes of advancing in the playoffs and capped his final full-time season in a way no one had expected.
After witnessing Truex Jr.’s heartbreaking turn of events, Jared Allen asked Denny Hamlin on his Actions Detrimental podcast if his own crew chief, Chris Gabehart, ever gives him specific warnings about pit lane speeding. Hamlin responded by explaining that Gabehart doesn’t micromanage him when it comes to avoiding speeding penalties.
“Chris expects me to know all those things,” Hamlin said. “He doesn’t really reiterate them that much.” Hamlin emphasized that he and Gabehart trust each other when it comes to these situations. “He doesn’t need to tell me, ‘Don’t speed,’ right? He will in an instance where that is the only thing that is going to keep us from advancing or winning that day. He will tell me. Other than that, he just lets me do my job.”
Hamlin’s comments reveal the trust between him and his crew chief, something that likely helped him stay out of trouble during the Bristol race. While Truex Jr. was caught out by a pit lane penalty, Hamlin navigated the night without incident and secured a fourth-place finish. This result allowed him to advance to the next round of the playoffs, keeping his championship hopes alive.
With the Round of 12 now underway, Hamlin is determined not to repeat his teammate’s costly error. The Florida native had a shaky start to the playoffs, struggling in the first two races. But his strong finish at Bristol suggests he may have turned the corner just in time. Hamlin will now focus on maintaining that momentum as he heads into the 2024 Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.
For Hamlin, the stakes couldn’t be higher. He has come close to winning the championship multiple times, but the elusive title has always slipped through his fingers. With his top-five finish at Bristol, Hamlin hopes to ride this wave of confidence and finally clinch the Cup Series championship when the season wraps up at Phoenix Raceway.
While Truex Jr. will be reflecting on what could have been, Hamlin is laser-focused on the road ahead. He’s determined not to let a minor mistake derail his title chase, learning from his teammate’s misfortune and setting his sights firmly on the ultimate prize: a NASCAR Cup Series championship.
