NASCAR alters playoff picture with huge penalty, five months after the race

As a seasoned gamer of NASCAR races, I can’t help but feel a rollercoaster of emotions when it comes to the recent developments with Denny Hamlin and his team at Joe Gibbs Racing. It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating his victory at Bristol Motor Speedway, and now, five long months later, we’re grappling with the consequences of a seemingly innocuous infraction.

If you found 45 days quite lengthy from the IndyCar season opener in St. Petersburg, Florida to Josef Newgarden’s disqualification due to Team Penske’s push-to-pass infraction, brace yourself for this extended period on the NASCAR side.

158 days after Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing triumphed at Bristol Motor Speedway in mid-March, his team and the No. 11 car were penalized with an L2 sanction due to a violation of NASCAR’s engine inspection regulations that Toyota self-reported.

The team was discovered to have breached Sections 14.7.1.E&F and 14.7.1.1.B&E of the NASCAR Rule Book concerning race-winning engines. Specifically, they rebuilt the engine from Bristol before NASCAR had a chance to dismantle it for inspection. As a result, substantial fines were imposed.

Toyota Racing Development president David Wilson called it a “grievous mistake”.

Hamlin’s position was adjusted by subtracting 75 points and 10 playoff points, causing him to slide down from third place to sixth. Currently, he lags behind the points leader, Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing, by a considerable margin of 103 points. Previously, Hamlin was only 28 points behind, but this recent change effectively rules out his chance of winning the regular season championship, with just two races left before the commencement of the playoffs consisting of four rounds and ten races in total.

He accumulated 21 playoff points from his three victories, which earned him five points apiece, along with six stage wins that added one point each. However, his current total stands at 11 points.

Hamlin’s victory in Bristol remains valid, yet it no longer impacts his playoff qualification. However, he still holds victories at Richmond Raceway and Dover Speedway, ensuring his placement in the four-round, 10-race postseason. For determining tiebreakers, only these two wins are considered.

The same penalties were issued to the No. 11 team in the owner standings, and crew chief Chris Gabehart was fined $100,000.

Hamlin and his team have the opportunity to earn additional playoff points by winning races and stages during the remaining regular season events, such as this weekend’s race at Daytona International Speedway and the following race at Darlington Raceway. As long as they stay eligible for the playoffs, they can continue to accumulate these valuable points.

2024-08-23 13:02