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NASCAR Insider Unmasks IMSA’s “Itchy Trigger Finger” That Robbed Fans of Crucial Rolex 24 Finish

Published 01/31/2024, 6:38 AM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

Apparently, for a few, the IMSA Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona was simply a blessing, including the NASCAR 2023 Cup winning team- Team Penske- its owner Roger Penske, and Felipe Nasr. For others like Devlin DeFrancesco and Chip Ganassi, it was a completely different game, spoiled by the unfortunate event of the loss of DeFrancesco’s puppy due to an accident involving Ganassi. Moreover, in the middle of all the highs and lows, IMSA made a small mistake that left motorsports enthusiasts hanging, longing for maybe just one more lap of edge-of-your-seat action, which was actually possible.

With Tom Blomqvist just 2.11 seconds behind Felipe Nasr, the race was up for a nail-biting finale. But well, a hasty call from the officials cut the excitement short. The scene was recently pointed out by a NASCAR insider from the world of Actions Detrimental, regretting how a hasty decision stole a potentially electrifying climax from fans and racers alike.

Denny Hamlin’s co-host cites miscommunication during final laps of Rolex 24 

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In his latest episode, “I’m Back… And Look Who’s With Me,” Denny Hamlin took a dive into the final lap finish of the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. His co-host, Jared Allen, was quick to shed some light on the buzz, with a touch of humor to boot.

Hamlin, ever so curious about the buzz, nudged Allen for the scoop. Allen, with a slight sarcasm, said, “Yeah, so basically someone had an itchy trigger finger in the scoring tower and there was just under three minutes to go in the race. And because it’s a 24 hour race, it’s a time thing. And if it gets to a certain point where there’s less time than a lap, they’re going to call the race. They could have gotten basically two more laps, at least one more lap, and if not two more laps in, and instead of waving the white flag and then the checkered flag they wave the checkered flag.”

Hamlin also echoed the sentiment, noting even the TV folks were betting on a couple more laps before the unexpected flag wave. Allen hinted at a possible mix-up, saying, “I got to be careful when I say this because it’s all second, third hand that there might have been some miscommunication of like what the tower wanted versus what actually happened. And so could that have been the thing at the end of the day. The flags rule everything and if the flag waves, that’s the ruling.”

Meanwhile, besides the Rolex 24, what has also dominated conversations is the recently released NASCAR: Full Speed documentary. So,naturally, Hamlin was not just rehashing race day drama. He was also buzzing about the docu-series, giving us a peek into how his father viewed his bold and confident stride and how his old man got him emotional.

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Denny Hamlin unveils his shades in the NASCAR Netflix Series

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While Denny Hanlin’s villain persona helps him be showcased as the must hardcore driver on the track, not many know his soft side. Recently, speaking about how the docu-series brought forth his emotional side, Denny Hanlin said, “From my perspective, it was, it’s tough to watch, I mean in the sense of I know how this story ends and I know you know how hard I wanted my… to me, I’m not much of a crier, okay? But I did when I watched my dad’s interview because you get just a little bit more perspective of what it would mean to them.” 

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Having said that, the JGR driver also credited the production team for rolling out a well-executed feature and said, “I know Netflix really had the controls of this, but was it so different and was it so good because they were learning on the fly.” 

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“It’s Tough to Watch” – Denny Hamlin Left Teary-Eyed by His Father’s ‘NASCAR: Full Speed’ Feature, Unravels Netflix’s “Different Perspective”

About the two sides of him shown in the docu-series, he said that it portrayed him correctly.  He even went as far as to say that his on-track, ‘Brash and C**ky’ identity was painted accurately in the series. Do you agree?

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Written by:

Neha Dwivedi

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Neha Dwivedi is a NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports. As a journalist, she religiously believes in the power of research, which allows her readers to dive deep into her stories and experience the detailed nuances of the sport like never before. Being proficient with Core Sport and Live Event Coverage, she has written multiple copies on the top entities of Stock Car Racing, like Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, and Tony Stewart.
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Edited by:

Ariva Debnath