Denny Hamlin’s playoff hopes at Bristol took a major hit late in the race when his #11 Toyota lost a right front wheel on lap 384 after contact with A.J. Allmendinger. The resulting caution led to a two-lap penalty for Hamlin, who ultimately finished 31st and five laps behind in the Round of 16 elimination event.
Following the incident, NASCAR suspended two key members of Hamlin’s pit crew: front tire changer Austin Maloney and jackman Joel Bouagnon. Both will miss the next two Cup Series races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway, unless Joe Gibbs Racing requests a postponement. Despite this setback, Hamlin had already secured his place in the Round of 12 thanks to an earlier playoff win at Gateway. He currently sits 26 points above the elimination line and maintains a secure position in the standings.
Hamlin Dismisses Concerns Over Suspended Pit Crew Members
On the recent episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin addressed the suspensions, making it clear that the situation with his crew is not his primary focus. He stated,
“I have no idea who’s sitting on the bench or who’s ready, and it’s not even my concern… cuz that’s the crew chief. He he the people. Um, there’s nothing I can do about it. You know what I mean? My concern needs to be on the things that I can control.”
– Denny Hamlin, driver
He continued by explaining that worrying about the capabilities or experience of replacement crew members would only waste his energy. He said,
“Worried about, ‘oh my gosh, well, I hope that the fill-ins are this or that or, you know, are they young, are they old, are they good, are they bad? Are they?’ You’re just wasting my energy at that point. So, it’s not my concern because I just feel as though that’s someone else’s department to be concerned over. I’m gonna do my job to the best of my ability, and we’ll try to win with whoever we got.”
– Denny Hamlin, driver
Team Adjustments Ahead Amid Playoff Pressure
Hamlin’s comments come during a season of transition at Joe Gibbs Racing. The team recently promoted crew chief Chris Gabehart to a competition director role, replacing him with Chris Gayle as the new crew chief. With Maloney and Bouagnon suspended, the #11 team faces added pressure to adapt quickly in the critical second round of the playoffs.
The Round of 12 will begin this weekend at New Hampshire, followed by races at Kansas and Talladega. Although Hamlin holds playoff points, the smooth execution of pit stops will be vital, especially with substitute crew members under the spotlight. The Bristol incident underscored how swiftly fortunes can change in the postseason, but despite the setback, Hamlin remains comfortably within the top 12 heading into the next phase.