Denny Hamlin’s Day Ends Early at Texas Motor Speedway
Denny Hamlin’s race at Texas Motor Speedway concluded prematurely on Sunday when his Toyota engine expired, igniting into flames during lap 75. The incident occurred just a few laps before the end of the first stage, leaving Hamlin to navigate a hazardous situation as smoke billowed from his car before it caught fire.
Reporting on the engine failure, Hamlin stated, “It was blowing up for about a lap or so before it really detonated. I tried to keep it off to keep it from fully detonating, that way they can diagnose exactly what happened.” The driver expressed concern over recurring engine issues this season, noting he has encountered similar problems in recent years. "We feel like we need to get a bit more power, but this was unexpected for us," he commented.
Hamlin’s misfortune was compounded by a miscommunication with his team regarding pit strategy during a caution on lap 21. This confusion resulted in a loss of track position, forcing him to restart outside the top 20 prior to the engine failure.
Despite the setback, Hamlin’s team expects to analyze the engine failure thoroughly in the coming weeks, hoping to uncover insights that may enhance performance for the remainder of the season.
Related Notes
- Kyle Larson claimed victory in the Xfinity race following a challenging two-overtime finish in Texas.
- Chase Elliott made a notable return to Texas, marking the site of his last win a year ago.
- Carson Hocevar secured his first career Cup pole with a strong performance at the Texas track.
