NASCAR’s decision to fine Denny Hamlin and his No. 11 team earlier this year dealt a major blow to their championship hopes. The team was banned from Hamlin with an L2 penalty, 75 points and 10 match points following allegations of engine tampering during the Bristol race. This major penalty has greatly affected their position in the standings, turning the previous season into a major battle. Hamlin, a leading contender for the championship, now faces the daunting task of strategizing to stay competitive.
The cause of the penalty was not the fault of Hamlin and the team around him, but of Toyota Racing Development (TRD). This sudden mistake by TRD put the #11 team in a challenging position. Although Hamlin was publicly judged, he didn’t hold back his frustration during his “Bad Performance” podcast. In the podcast, Hamlin talked about how this mistake affected his time, changed their approach and strategy going forward.
TRD’s surprise mistake: a costly oversight
Hamlin didn’t see anything wrong with TRD. The purpose is to manage the life cycle of the engine – a very important part of race car maintenance. After the engine completes its racing cycle, it undergoes maintenance and inspection to meet NASCAR’s stringent standards for future use. Winning engines, in particular, must undergo NASCAR inspection, which sometimes occurs immediately after the race or several days later. For Hamlin, the race winning engine was sent to the TRD facility for repairs. These machines are clear as they are marked with red symbols. However, at the TRD facility, these seals were removed and the engine was rebuilt without going through NASCAR’s inspection procedures. Hamlin later revealed on his podcast that the same engine was used again during the race at Darlington.
He explained the sequence of events, saying the engine was sent to Costa Mesa, dismantled and assembled, rather than returning it to NASCAR for inspection after the change. Hamlin speculated that someone at the TRD facility might see the red seals on the floor and question the removal. Hamlin said on his podcast, “They cut the seals and rebuilt the engine, and just like Toyota, they might see these red seals sitting on the floor, in or on someone’s desk, ‘Wait, who cut them here?’ However, it should be said this way.
Hamlin admitted there was no escaping the penalty, as it was a serious violation of the NASCAR rulebook. “We have something in our rulebook that is black and white,” he explained. If the engine doesn’t come back for inspection or something, the penalty is L2, that’s it. They told me that I would find out on Thursday and I have not had a good day and it has been three days in a row. It’s worse.” The news of the penalty came as it was one of the most challenging weeks for Hamlin and his team.
It’s been a tough week at Daytona
Hamlin’s challenge didn’t end with the penalty. Later in the week, Hamlin’s luck continued in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona. Entering the event, Hamlin had the best record among active drivers at Daytona with three wins. However, Cory Lajoie’s big crash in the second part of the race put Hamlin’s No. 11 car in trouble, a familiar situation for him at Daytona in recent years.
The Daytona race has been a dark one for Hamlin, especially during the next generation. Despite his strong record, he has failed to finish in the top ten in his last six appearances at the prestigious venue. After reflecting on his accident, Hamlin considered resigning and said the results would have been similar at Daytona. I just have to like that. I just have to stay here, and if I’m caught in a wreck, I’m caught in a wreck, I won’t be surprised, right? So the next time I wasn’t driving well on the highway, I wasn’t making anything. Someone else is doing something stupid and we’re going to deal with that.”
Looking ahead: Back before the finals
This week’s defeat will no doubt have taken a toll on the morale of the number eleven team. The combination of the penalty and the disappointing result at Daytona made it one of the toughest weekends of the season for Hamlin and his crew. But when time flies, there is no time to think about past mistakes. The team needs to focus quickly in the last game of the season at Darlington. As the finals approached, Hamlin and his team were in trouble. They need to regroup, adjust their strategy and work hard if they hope to stay in contention for the title.
