Denny Hamlin The 43-year-old driver recently broke his silence about the significant penalty he received that will impact his chances in the NASCAR Cup Series championship. Speaking to reporters on Friday, the 43-year-old driver spoke about his meeting with Toyota Racing Development (TRD) regarding the penalty for an engine infraction.
“I was trying to get some clarity on the specifics of how, what, when etc. and they were obviously very sorry that they had to give me that information,” Hamlin told Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass. “I know they didn't want to bring me in a room and tell me something was going to happen that was going to affect their season so I feel bad for them.”
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Hamlin was informed Wednesday that a meeting with TRD was scheduled for Thursday, Kelly Crandall reported. racer. The meeting was led by TRD officials David Wilson, Tyler Gibbs and Andy Graves, who announced that Hamlin and the No. 11 team would be penalized for the engine infraction. Hamlin lost his regular season championship points (75) and playoff points (10), and crew chief Chris Gabehart was fined $100,000. Additionally, Hamlin's win at Bristol Motor Speedway would no longer count toward playoff qualification.
“It doesn't feel any better than it did when I found out at the moment,” Hamlin said the day after learning the news. “You work so hard in the regular season to get all those bonus points and it's really hard to do that in a format like this. It's really tough to see it go away, but it's part of our fate and we've got to get through it now.”
Denny Hamlin reveals future plans after penalty
With two races remaining in the regular season, Hamlin knows he must finish strong to improve his position in the playoffs and get some momentum heading into the postseason. “You've got to figure out what's the best path forward and the best path is to win, right?” he said. “Just make sure I win and finish the race in the best possible condition that I can. Obviously, there's no room for error anymore. I'm just hoping to win the round.”
Hamlin has qualified for the playoffs this year with wins at Richmond and Dover, and with 54 Cup Series race wins including three Daytona 500 victories, he is looking to win his first career Cup Series title.