Last weekend’s race at Darlington significantly shifted the dynamics of the NASCAR Playoffs, with Denny Hamlin standing out among the few playoff contenders who performed well. As the postseason opened, many drivers struggled, but Hamlin, along with Chase Briscoe, Tyler Reddick, and Bubba Wallace, secured top-10 finishes that place them in favorable positions moving forward.
Among the playoff drivers, only Hamlin, Briscoe, Reddick, and Wallace finished in the top 10 at Darlington, setting themselves up strongly for advancing to the next playoff round, provided they avoid major issues in the upcoming weeks. Hamlin recently discussed the race outcomes on the podcast Actions Detrimental, identifying both the drivers who succeeded and those who faltered at Darlington.
Analyzing the Hendrick Motorsports Struggles
Hamlin pointed out the Hendrick Motorsports team as an example of underperformance during the race, though he believes the results do not fully reflect their potential. He explained how different factors affected the drivers’ outcomes, saying,
“The Hendrick guys, obviously, the result was bad,”
but added he thought the team was better than what their finishing positions showed.
Hamlin further elaborated on individual drivers’ difficulties, attributing William Byron’s poor showing to a subpar performance and noted uncertainty about Alex Bowman’s result while acknowledging external factors likely influenced his finishing place. Regarding Kyle Larson, Hamlin speculated,
“Larson, more than likely, had toe link damage, if I had to guess.”
He explained,
“Byron wasn’t good. And then the 48, I don’t know. … So, I don’t know. Surely it altered the result, surely it changed his result but I just don’t know if the 48 was going to be that good anyway.”
Impact of Early Incidents on Josh Berry’s Race
Josh Berry’s race was derailed early due to a major mistake on the first lap when his car bottomed out, ultimately causing a crash and leaving him 128 laps behind by the time he returned to track. Hamlin sympathized with Berry’s situation, describing how hard it is to manage a car with such damage.
In Hamlin’s words,
“In Josh Berry’s defense, it’s very hard to control a car that bottoms out the way his bottomed out, and you could hear it, like, it hit hard, and he completely lost control of it. Yeah, it’s going to be really hard to save a car that bottoms out as bad as his did.”
Highlighting Strong Performances from 23XI Racing
On the positive side, Hamlin applauded 23XI Racing for their impressive showing at Darlington, particularly praising Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace as drivers who demonstrated readiness and competitiveness in the playoffs. Hamlin recalled,
“Yeah, 23XI had a really good day. You know, Bubba, I thought in the first stage was super strong,”
giving credit to Wallace’s pace early in the race. He noted,
“He passed us and was kinda catching the 19 before he pitted.”
Hamlin also praised Reddick’s resilience, saying,
“Reddick got back on the horse with speed, I thought he was going to pass the 19. I thought he was leaps and bounds faster than he was at the end of the race. Obviously, the dirty air and whatnot, he wasn’t going to get around him.”
Ross Chastain’s Fuel Strategy Hinders His Finish
Outside the top finishers, Hamlin mentioned Ross Chastain’s strong run prior to the final pit stop, where a fuel issue compromised his positioning. Chastain had been competing for a top-five spot but had to drop back after his team didn’t load enough fuel, forcing him into fuel-saving mode that cost him valuable laps and positions.
Upcoming Challenges as Playoffs Continue at Gateway
With the NASCAR Playoffs shifting to the Gateway track this week, the driver standings will be tested further, and the pressure will increase for those who did not secure favorable results at Darlington. As racers look toward Bristol in the following round, this stage will determine who advances comfortably and who must battle to survive.
