Denny Hamlin rolled out of New Hampshire’s Mobil 1 301 more as a bystander than a frontrunner, the roar of engines a stark reminder of what could’ve been. Hovering in the top-10 for much of the race, he never broke free from the pack, finishing a distant 12th as Team Penske’s Fords owned the day, leading over 90% of the laps.

The race wasn’t without drama, either. In Stage 2, Hamlin tangled with teammate Ty Gibbs while scrapping for 11th, a tussle that ended with Gibbs spinning into the wall and out of the race. It was a gritty effort from Hamlin, but Loudon laid bare Joe Gibbs Racing’s struggles against Penske’s relentless speed, leaving Hamlin to dissect where JGR is falling short in their championship chase.

The day stung for Hamlin, who’s been chasing that elusive Cup title for years. Penske’s dominance, especially from Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney, highlighted a gap JGR couldn’t close. Hamlin’s car showed flashes of speed, but like much of 2024 and 2025, it faded over long runs, a recurring issue on short tracks like Loudon.

Hamlin calls out Penske’s edge

On the 23rd September Actions Detrimental podcast episode, Hamlin got real about why Penske’s leaving JGR in the dust. “Penske’s got a really good test plan… when they tested North Wilkesboro… it was a pivotal moment… they found something at that test and it worked… he [Logano] dominated and won the All-Star race,” he said.

That 2023 North Wilkesboro test was a game-changer, as Logano led 199 of 200 laps in the All-Star Race, a beatdown that showed Penske cracked the short-track code. Hamlin sees that prep as the kind of edge JGR’s missing.

“We missed it by being like the 8th through 13th fastest cars… Bell took four tires on the last restart… strong for five-six laps, then just very pedestrian after that… we were off by a lot,” he added. At Bristol in 2024, Bell’s fresh-tire surge fizzled after 10 laps, a pattern where JGR’s setups can’t sustain speed against Penske’s staying power.

Hamlin didn’t stop there: “All the Penske cars except for Austin Cindric… what a missed opportunity… 17th, just an off day really for the two.” While Logano and Blaney ran up front, Cindric’s 19.92 average finish in 2024, including a 24th at Richmond, showed even Penske’s weak link wasn’t far off JGR’s best. Hamlin’s frustration spilled over, “I felt really good about the weekend… balance was there in Sim and even in practice… but man, we just did not have the speed.”

JGR’s vaunted simulator program keeps promising more than it delivers on race day, especially at flat tracks like Loudon. “Penske cars… it was like 3% more grip… probably 1–1.5%… but even that makes a big difference… they put it in all their cars and they were all just untouchable,” Hamlin said, nodding to Blaney’s 2023 title run, where he led 150+ laps in the final two races. That grip edge keeps Penske ahead, exposing JGR’s setup struggles.

Teammate tensions boil over

Hamlin’s Loudon woes weren’t just about speed; they got personal with Ty Gibbs. On Actions Detrimental, he doubled down on his frustration from the Stage 2 clash, where Gibbs held him and Christopher Bell up for over 10 laps. By Lap 111, Hamlin had had enough, bumping Gibbs into the wall and out of the race.

“In my mind, he was racing entirely too hard,” Hamlin said. “We were racing at the time for 11th place. We, [Bell] and [Chase Briscoe], are all battling and scratching and clawing to try to get stage points, which is going to be life and death for us.” For Hamlin, a playoff contender, Gibbs’ aggressive defense as a non-playoff driver was a costly distraction, especially when stage points could decide their postseason fate.

Hamlin even contrasted Gibbs with rival Ross Chastain, who eased up to avoid a pointless battle, “What Ross thought, more than likely, was that ‘I am not going to hold him up for this entire 60 lap run so I might as well try to prevent someone else from joining this party.’” Chastain’s race craft, knowing when to yield for the bigger picture, highlighted what Hamlin felt Gibbs lacked.

“If you’re going to have to race your teammates harder than anyone on the track, then this is going to be really tough for any one of us to win,” Hamlin added. The Gibbs wreck, tied to JGR’s broader struggle to match Penske’s grip and execution, turned Loudon into a double blow, exposing setup gaps and team friction as Hamlin fights to keep his championship dreams alive.