As the Coke Zero Sugar 400 race approaches, Denny Hamlin expressed his views on the recent L2-level penalty he received, which has knocked him out of the running for the regular-season championship. Following his victory at Bristol, Hamlin and his #11 Toyota Camry team were found in violation of NASCAR’s engine inspection rules.
The driver from Joe Gibbs Racing faced a significant setback, losing 75 points for both driver and owner standings, causing him to drop from third to sixth place in the 2024 Cup Series rankings. Additionally, the penalty resulted in a loss of 10 playoff points and a $100,000 fine imposed on his spotter, Chris Gabehart.
In a recent media interaction, the 43-year-old candidly discussed how this penalty affects his pursuit of the championship for the 2024 season. Hamlin shared his thoughts (via Bob Pockrass):
I completely understand why you celebrate those one-point stage wins and race victories so passionately. It’s because, you know, every round matters to me. When I think about the regular season standings, it feels like that’s slipping away.
In addition, Hamlin mentioned that he is essentially out of the running for a worst-case fourth place in the regular season championship. With only two races left, Ryan Blaney from Team Penske has taken over that fourth position in the driver standings.
“You see, what we’ve potentially lost and could continue to lose is significant. Blaney wasn’t expected to catch up to us in points, so at the very least, we were looking at fourth place. But now, we could drop back to eighth or ninth. It’s not just about those 10 points; it’s the seven or eight others that we’ll miss out on each round. Cumulatively, that could add up to around 50 points,” Hamlin explained.
“Now I find myself in a precarious position, feeling quite vulnerable in several areas,” he added.
Denny Hamlin is gearing up to prioritize his own success over assisting his teammates in the upcoming Daytona race.
The seasoned NASCAR driver, with an impressive record of 54 Cup Series victories, is still chasing that elusive championship title after two decades in the sport. In a recent press conference, the three-time Daytona 500 champion expressed his intention to focus on accumulating playoff points in the final two races following a significant L2-level penalty. He stated:
“When it comes to tomorrow night, my plan is to be a bit selfish. I was competing against Tyler Reddick for the regular season standings. However, with so many competitors around me in points, my main goal is to achieve the best possible result.”
Hamlin also mentioned, “If there’s a chance to support my teammates, I will certainly do so, as long as it doesn’t negatively impact my own performance.”
As he heads into the 25th race of the Cup Series season, Hamlin finds himself 103 points behind leader Tyler Reddick, currently sitting in sixth place with three wins, nine top-five finishes, and 11 top-10 results.
