Denny Hamlin unmasks main culprit behind major Martinsville setback as Championship 4 hopes hang in balance

Denny Hamlin is in a precarious situation. While younger drivers have won Cup Series championships, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver, who has been racing for over two decades, is yet to accomplish the feat.

To make things worse, the veteran driver couldn’t qualify for the upcoming playoff race at Martinsville Speedway on November 3. It’s this race at the Virginian short track that will decide who will claim the remaining two spots in the championship race at Phoenix a week later.

The throttle on Hamlin's No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry got stuck, forcing him into the wall in Turn 3. He exited his car and later disclosed the main culprit behind his failed qualifying attempt: a chunk of rubber.

According to Hamlin, the chunk of rubber got stuck in the “throttle body” of his machine, causing it to “hang wide open.” The dislocated throttle ruined it for Hamlin. He knows he has to win to get in.

Say he does not win. How good are his chances of making the final four on points? The driver himself said (as quoted by The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck),

“If there’s a one-in-100,000 chance of it happening, it’ll probably happen to me.”

The Tampa, Florida native is the only Joe Gibbs Racing playoff driver, as well as the only one in the Toyota camp to remain inside of the bubble. Currently, he is 18 points behind the provisional elimination line.

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Denny Hamlin stays confident in the potential of the No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE

Within hours of Denny Hamlin’s car getting towed into the garage, his crew was able to repair and restore his ride. It’s a known fact that the drivers usually have a backup car back in the garage, lest the primary vehicle gets damaged during practice or qualifying. So why did JGR decide not to call for backup?

In an interview with journalist Dave Burns, Hamlin’s crew chief, Chris Gabehart addressed the matter. He said,

“There was a lot of good things about this car, obviously. It fired off real fast and then was even better yet."

As per Motors Addict, Hamlin’s car was the fastest in practice right before he got chucked out of the field. Even then, his car remained the third fastest in the 37-car field.

Denny Hamlin has been successful at Martinsville Speedway. In his 37 starts there, the Toyota pilot has recorded five wins, 14 top-5s, and six top-10s. However, in a short track like Martinsville, track position is crucial. When asked if he can win from the rear of the field, Hamlin said,

“I hope so. I think if the car has got the ability to maneuver like this one did, then you got a chance. The unfortunate part is we don't get to pick a pit stall. We're probably going to be right in the middle, in a terrible spot on pit road. Track position is key here."

Fans can watch Hamlin in action only on NBC on Sunday from 2 pm ET onwards. Radio updates will be available on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.