Getty
LOUDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE – JULY 18: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Office Toyota, talks to crew on the grid prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 18, 2021 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Getty
LOUDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE – JULY 18: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Office Toyota, talks to crew on the grid prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 18, 2021 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
At the Pocono Raceway, both Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch were disqualified, which eventually handed Hamlin’s win to Chase Elliott. Recently, NASCAR director Brad Moran explained the actions that they took while meting out the penalties. According to him, the offenses were not as severe as Roush Fenway-Keselowski Racing’s or Front Row Motorsports’.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
In light of this, Hamlin hit back at the insinuation, declaring that the punishment was pretty damaging. This was because he lost a few playoff points, and at this juncture, it was pretty costly. Especially considering that this is pretty far into regular season, the loss of points must have been devastating.
READ MORE: Did Denny Hamlin Subtly Admit to Knowing the Illegal Piece of Tape on His Car?
Aside from the five playoff points, his team lost more than $100k, as well as 52 points earned during the race.
Denny Hamlin has to simply move on from the disqualification
Of course, he and teammate Busch cannot afford to dwell on their mistakes. All that they can do is try and focus on the remaining races in the regular season. Aside from the pain of losing the points, the good news is that both of them have qualified safely.
USA Today via Reuters
May 29, 2022; Concord, North Carolina, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin (11) wins the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
However, the real task will be for them to snatch more wins, so that new winners cannot upset the status quo. This is because there are already 14 different winners and a total of 16 Playoff spots.
After the race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, there are four regular season races left. With that, the race to seal the final two Playoff spots will be fierce. To be precise, the drivers with wins under their belts will be keen to stop new winners.
WATCH THIS STORY: NASCAR Journalist Clears the Air on the Controversial Denny Hamlin-Kyle Busch Disqualification
At the same time, there are drivers like Ryan Blaney, Kevin Harvick, and Martin Truex Jr. These three, in particular, are hunting for their first win of the 2022 Cup Series season. Unfortunately, there are three of them and two spots left. Without a doubt, Denny Hamlin will try to help Truex, as he is his teammate.
