Denny Hamlin enters the second Spherical of the NASCAR Cup Collection Playoffs because the workforce seeded driver at 26 factors above the cutline however might lose two of this over-the-wall crewmembers for the subsequent two races at New Hampshire and Kansas.
This is because of an incident on Lap 385 of the Bristol Evening Race on Saturday the place Hamlin misplaced a proper entrance wheel across the time he made contact with AJ Allmendinger — which resulted in a crash and a direct two-lap penalty in opposition to the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing workforce.
NASCAR guidelines penalize groups that lose wheels on the monitor, and along with being held two laps on pit highway, the Sanctioning Physique would additionally droop two crew members for the infraction.
Denny Hamlin loses a wheel, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Photograph by: Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Pictures
In actual time, crew chief Chris Gayle tried to make the argument the crash prompted the dislodged wheel and never the opposite method round. NASCAR officers didn’t purchase it and a penalty was known as and served. After the race, Gayle nonetheless was not prepared to concede.
“We don’t know what occurred but,” Gayle instructed Motorsport whereas going by means of the post-race inspection course of. “There was positively contact with (Allmendinger) and there was contact with the wheel nut on the similar time, and I’ve by no means seen contact like that earlier than, so I’m certain they’ll do extra investigating.
“We’ll see.”
Hamlin addressed it throughout his post-race media scrum too.
“It’s what it’s,” Hamlin stated. “We have been the one automobile on pit highway on the time and sadly, the tire fell off.”
Is he desirous about a counterargument or attraction?
“There was clearly a difficulty with the automobile,” Hamlin stated. “We had simply hit the wall the lap earlier than so I can’t have a look at the suspension and inform if it was broke or not. Definitely, there was one thing there that was out of whack.”
If there’s a penalty, Gayle feels assured that Joe Gibbs Racing can climate it.
“We’re for certain, at all times ready for something that may occur,” Gayle stated. “However for certain, we’ll be ready both method.”
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