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Denny Hamlin came extremely close to clinching a spot in the Championship 4 field of the NASCAR Cup Series. However, a third-place finish wasn't enough for the 42-year-old driver of the No. 11 Toyota Camry.
Hamlin, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, found himself in a must-win situation heading into the Cup Series race in Martinsville. This came after a power steering failure, in the race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, left him with a 17-point deficit.
Denny Hamlin entered the penultimate race with a fourth-place start in qualifying. The early signs were promising, as Hamlin dominated Stage 1 of the race. The 42-year-old also came second in Stage 2 of the race.
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However, victory remained just out of reach for Hamlin. In the end, it was William Byron who secured the win and the fourth and final spot in the Championship 4. Hamlin finished in third place, leaving him with a bittersweet taste of what could have been.
Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to address his fan base, Hamlin reflected on the journey, stating:
"Been a hell of a ride. Thank you 11 fans."
Denny Hamlin reflects on the Homestead failure that cost him the season
In a post-race interview with NBC Sports, Hamlin talked about his emotions after missing out on the Championship 4. He acknowledged the pivotal role played by the power steering failure in the preceding race and said:
“The mechanical failure last week with the power steering, that sealed our fate.”
Despite the setback, Denny Hamlin expressed immense pride in his team's resiliency and grit.
“I’m really proud of this whole team for showing up today when we really needed to, having probably a mid-50-point day. They did great,” Hamlin added.
Reflecting on the missed opportunity to clinch his first series championship, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver stated:
“Man, I just want to get ready and go try to win next week. I still love it so much because every week I feel like I got a shot to win. That’s what fuels my passion, even at my age, to keep doing this, is I’m with the team that I got that gives me such fast cars every week and gives me a chance to continue to pile on those stats before the end of my career.”
Despite missing out on a spot in the grand finale, Denny Hamlin will be back in action for the Cup Series race in Phoenix.
