Denny Hamlin, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, faced a major setback as NASCAR imposed a severe L2-level penalty on his No. 11 team. This drastic measure came after Hamlin used a race-winning engine from Bristol Motor Speedway without the required post-race inspection and approval.
As a result, Hamlin and his team owner suffered a loss of 75 points each, and Crew Chief Chris Gabehart was fined $100,000. More crucially, the penalty stripped Hamlin of 10 playoff points.
This 75-point deduction has significantly jeopardized Hamlin’s campaign for the regular season championship. Formerly a leading contender in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, Hamlin’s position plummeted from third to sixth.
Despite these setbacks, Hamlin’s current season performance remains strong, marked by three wins. Although the penalties have invalidated his playoff eligibility from his Bristol victory, his achievements in other races ensure he maintains his spot in the playoffs.
Logan Riely/Getty Images
Speaking out on the penalty, Toyota Racing Development took full responsibility, stating, as Newsweek previously reported:
“As the engine builder for our partner NASCAR Cup Series teams, TRD is solely responsible for handling and disposition of all our engine pre and post-race.”
Hamlin is yet to comment on the severe penalty.
This is how the championship now stands ahead of Daytona.
NASCAR Cup Series: Current Standings
- Tyler Reddick – 814 points
- Chase Elliott – 804 points
- Kyle Larson – 782 points
- Ryan Blaney – 732 points
- William Byron – 728 points
- Denny Hamlin – 711 points
- Christopher Bell – 703 points
- Martin Truex Jr – 682 points
- Brad Keselowski – 677 points
- Ty Gibbs – 644 points
- Alex Bowman – 627 points
- Chris Buescher – 621 points
- Ross Chastain – 606 points
- Bubba Wallace – 605 points
- Joey Logano – 561 points
- Daniel Suárez – 526 points
- Kyle Busch – 513 points
- Chase Briscoe – 491 points
- Austin Cindric – 460 points
- Todd Gilliland – 455 points
- Michael McDowell – 449 points
- Carson Hocevar – 441 points
- Josh Berry – 427 points
- Noah Gragson – 425 points
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr – 400 points
- Ryan Preece – 367 points
- Erik Jones – 361 points
- Justin Haley – 346 points
- Austin Dillon – 345 points
- Daniel Hemric – 337 points
- Corey LaJoie – 332 points
- John H. Nemechek – 321 points
- Zane Smith – 292 points
- Harrison Burton – 266 points
- Kaz Grala – 166 points
- Cody Ware – 65 points
- Joey Hand – 43 points
- Jimmie Johnson – 39 points
- Derek Kraus – 32 points
- David Ragan – 17 points
- Kamui Kobayashi – 8 points
- Will Brown – 6 points
- Cam Waters – 2 points
When to watch NASCAR at Daytona International Speedway
Friday 23 August
3pm ET: NASCAR Xfinity Series – Qualifying
5.05pm ET: NASCAR Cup Series – Qualifying
7.30pm ET: NASCAR Xfinity Series – Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola
Saturday 24 August
2pm ET: ARCA Menards Series – Practice
3pm ET: ARCA Menards Series – Qualifying
4pm ET: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – Practice
4.30pm ET: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – Qualifying
7.30pm ET: NASCAR Cup Series – Coke Zero Sugar 400
Sunday 25 August
1pm ET: ARCA Menards Series – Sprecher 150
4pm ET: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – Liuna! 175
