Denny Hamlin Faces Setback Ahead of Chicago Street Course Race
Denny Hamlin’s hopes for a competitive outing at the Chicago street course were dashed during practice on Saturday, as he suffered an engine failure on his out lap. The incident occurred early in the session, with Hamlin leaving pit road in his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. As he approached Turn 6, smoke billowed from the car, leading to a loss of control and a subsequent stop on track.
The malfunction prompted a red flag for cleanup, resulting in additional time allocated for teams once practice resumed. Hamlin, visibly frustrated, remarked, “I don’t know; I hadn’t even hit the gas yet. I came off Turn 4, just started accelerating, and blew the whole bottom out.”
The engine replacement has excluded Hamlin from further practice or qualifying, positioning him at the rear of the 40-car grid for Sunday’s race.
“This is a racetrack that is important to have reps, and we spend hours upon hours practicing and getting ready,” he expressed. “We couldn’t even make a pace lap before it blew up.”
Historically, Hamlin has struggled at this venue, finishing 11th and 30th in his previous two Chicago appearances. This race marks only Hamlin’s second attempt at a street course this season, following a 21st-place finish at Circuit of The Americas and missing the Mexico City event. With only one prior road course win (Watkins Glen, 2016), Hamlin faces an uphill battle as he seeks to regain momentum.
