Denny Hamlin is one of the most popular names in the Cup Series, and he’s well known as an outspoken driver who doesn’t sugarcoat facts. This season, he has made headlines on different issues, from struggling with poor performances to an on-track beef with Ross Chastain.
Following a disqualification at Pocono, Hamlin addressed the situation in different podcasts. In one of his discussions regarding the disqualification, he cited that NASCAR had warned JGR about the same infraction a few days before the race, but the team chose not to take action and ended up paying for it the hard way.
Despite the DQ, Hamlin wasn’t personal on the whole issue since he believes his team deserved the penalty for ignoring NASCAR’s warning, and according to him, he hopes other teams get DQ’ed this year.
Speaking in the Door Bumper Clear podcast this week, Hamlin said:
“I think that they’ve set a precedent. Hopefully, others get DQ’ed this year. I believe that that will be the case. I think that they’re really laying down the law here and saying, ‘We’re done with it. We’ve told you what the rule is.”
Denny Hamlin has also been unlucky with penalties, and early last month, he was ranked as one of the most penalized drivers according to NASCAR penalty box reports. He was recently stripped of his win through a disqualification at Pocono after his car failed a post-race inspection. This made him the first Cup race winner in NASCAR history to be disqualified since 1960.
Denny Hamlin was disqualified from victory line at Pocono Raceway
Denny Hamlin wasn’t the only Joe Gibbs Racing driver who was disqualified from Pocono; his teammate Kyle Busch, who finished second, was also stripped of his top-five finish. The two drivers were the fastest at Pocono, starting in the front row, Hamlin starting at the pole, and Busch starting in the outer lane of row one.
It’s been a while.Denny Hamlin is the first apparent winner of a #NASCAR Cup Series race, only to be later disqualified in more than 60 years. https://t.co/adGXJlpHgp
Denny Hamlin celebrated the win just like any other driver, and he was handed over a trophy and a bottle of champagne. His celebration, however, lasted only a few hours before NASCAR broke the news of his disqualification, handing the win to Chase Elliott, who finished third. After the announcement, many expected Joe Gibbs Racing to appeal the big blow, but instead, they apologized for the infraction and promised to work on the issue.
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Despite being stripped of the win, Hamlin stayed with the trophy for a week before handing it over to Chase Elliott. During a media interaction in Indianapolis, Hamlin was asked if he had handed over the trophy. He said the trophy was still in Indianapolis and would be handed over to Elliott. Hamlin is still among the few drivers with two wins this season, meaning his spot in the playoffs is well secured.