Denny Hamlin’s road to the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series postseason has hit a major speed bump. After a penalty for violating engine inspection requirements, Hamlin was docked 10 crucial playoff points, but the true impact of this punishment extends far beyond that number.
The trouble began when Toyota self-reported an infraction related to Hamlin’s victory at Bristol Motor Speedway in March. The No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team violated NASCAR Rule Book Sections 14.7.1.E&F and 14.7.1.1.B&E when they mistakenly rebuilt the race-winning engine before NASCAR could conduct its post-race inspection. The penalty was severe: Hamlin was docked 75 driver points and 10 playoff points, and while he retained the Bristol win, it was stripped of its playoff eligibility and tiebreaker value.
At first glance, the loss of 10 playoff points might seem manageable, especially for a driver of Hamlin’s caliber, who still holds two other wins from Richmond Raceway and Dover Motor Speedway. However, the reality is much grimmer when considering how NASCAR’s playoff system works.
Playoff points are essential in NASCAR’s postseason format. These points, accumulated through race wins, stage wins, and regular season standings, carry over and are added to a driver’s total after the points reset at the start of each playoff round. Losing 10 playoff points is equivalent to forfeiting the advantage of two race wins—an advantage that has often been the difference between advancing and being eliminated in the playoffs.
But the penalty’s impact goes even deeper. Before the 75-point deduction, Hamlin was sitting comfortably in third place in the standings, just 28 points behind the leader. After the penalty, he plummeted to sixth and now sits in eighth, 111 points off the lead. This drop has effectively eliminated him from contention for the regular season championship, a title that could have earned him an additional 15 playoff points.
NASCAR awards extra playoff points to the top 10 finishers in the regular season standings: 15 for first place, 10 for second, eight for third, and decreasing by one point per position down to the 10th place finisher. Without the penalty, Hamlin would have been in position to earn significantly more playoff points. For example, finishing fourth in the standings would have netted him seven additional playoff points, while eighth place earns just three.
As it stands, Hamlin’s total playoff points have dropped from 21 to 11, and with one race left in the regular season, he could end up with just 14 playoff points instead of the potential 28 he could have had without the penalty. This reduction of 14 playoff points is a substantial loss, especially in the tightly contested margins of NASCAR’s playoffs, where even a single point can determine who advances to the next round.
Despite the setback, Hamlin is far from out of the running. With more races left in the regular season and throughout the playoffs, he still has opportunities to earn additional playoff points through race and stage wins. But the margin for error has become much slimmer, and Hamlin’s path to the championship just got a lot tougher.
As the NASCAR season progresses, all eyes will be on how this penalty impacts Hamlin’s quest for his first Cup Series title. The loss of those playoff points could be the difference between triumph and heartbreak in what promises to be a fiercely competitive postseason.
