Joe Gibbs Racing dazzled for the first time in 2024 as Christopher Bell’s No. 20 Toyota snatched the limelight in Phoenix. His teammate Ty Gibbs was close behind, scoring an impressive 3rd place finish. While the pit team worked wonders to push these cars to the front, they could not help out another JGR driver: Denny Hamlin.

Hamlin started strong after securing the pole position at the Phoenix qualifier on Saturday. He was a force to reckon with, tying with Tyler Reddick in the most number of laps led: 68. However, he lost his sparkle in the final stage which sealed the fate of most other drivers. Hamlin scratched the race wounds in retrospect, wondering what could have been done better.

Denny Hamlin pinpoints crucial slip-up in Phoenix

Hamlin came off strong in the first two stages, finishing third in both. It seemed like the No. 11 driver had gotten the reworked Toyota underbody and the new Goodyear tires under his control. But a multi-car wreck unfolded in the final stage that shook him off his balance. He spun out after battling for the lead with Tyler Reddick.

He recently analyzed the situation on an episode of ‘Actions Detrimental’. “We would have won if there were no other cautions. If I didn’t cause that caution, there would’ve been 17 of us that needed a pit under the green flag. The 6 cars that pitted, right on the edge of that fuel window, those would’ve been 1 through 6.”

After the fateful spin, Denny Hamlin had to make a pit stop. The No. 11 Toyota went through a four-tire change before Hamlin drove it outside the top 20. Despite his dismal restart, he could make up several spots as he passed cars on older tires. Yet he just fell shy of scoring a place in the top 10 and finished 11th.

Hamlin further shared his insights on the race. “I don’t understand the uproar of the race, because I thought that throughout the entire race, certainly the first two stages, I was in third, and I could see first right in front of me. So it was never really spread out. Now there was the three of us right, the 20, the 45, and the 11 that were kinda breaking away from the pack a little bit. But I thought, yeah, it’s not easy.”

Denny Hamlin’s approach towards the new short-track package seemed to have changed a little after his pre-race optimistic views.

Hamlin had to eat humble pie after sanctioning new aero rules

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NASCAR’s new aero package debuted in Phoenix, making some drivers shaky in their performance. As part of the package, cars used a simplified diffuser. Other perks are derived from last year, including short track/road course splitter stuffers, removal of engine panel strakes, etc. Hamlin previously said the new changes would improve racing potential.

But after the Phoenix race, his stance seemed to shift. “I’m not super disappointed for sure, [I’m] overall optimistic that we found something that was a little better coming to this racetrack than what we had. Just need to be a smidge better then we’ll be right there.”

Denny Hamlin scored worse than what he expected in Phoenix. Yet with his teammates picking up shiny medals, hopefully it would not be long before he scores his first Cup win in 2024.

Read More: Denny Hamlin Reveals the Absurd Reason That Ruined Bubba Wallace’s Phenomenal Start to the Season