NASCAR expert Bob Pockrass explains sealed engine regulations amid Denny Hamlin penalty

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin was penalized by NASCAR for violating engine regulations. Now, senior journalist Bob Pockrass has explained the sealed engine regulations via a few posts on his social media page.

After the Firekeepers Casino 400 race in Michigan, Hamlin was looking set to challenge for the regular season championship. However, an inspection before the weekend at Daytona Speedway resulted in the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing and Hamlin getting an L2-level penalty for an engine violation.

As per the sanctioning body, the team violated Sections 14.7.1.E&F and 14.7.1.1.B&E of the NASCAR rule book. The penalty meant that both Hamlin and JBR ended up losing 75 regular season points and 10 playoff points. Apart from the duo, crew chief Chris Gabehart received a big fine of $100,000.

Speaking more on the penalties, NASCAR analyst and reporter Bob Pockrass shared multiple posts on his X page:

"Hamlin said the engine was used once in 2023, then at Bristol this year and then Darlington in May. But TRD just realized that it had mistakenly disassembled that engine instead of bringing it to NASCAR for inspection," Pockrass posted.

"Fwiw.. a team declares prior to season which races it plans to use sealed engines. Must use a sealed engine in 18 races. No limit to number of races for an engine. A race-winning sealed engine can only go back into that car number. Any other sealed engine can go into any car," Pockrass added, explaining the rule.

Apart from the above explainers, Bob Pockrass also replied to an X user, clarifying his doubt about sealed engines:

"A seal NASCAR puts on a Cup engine makes it so they cannot alter the engine block, crankshaft, camshaft, connecting rods, pistons, oil pan, cylinder heads and valves before the engine's next race use (can replace valve springs)."

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“It’s just really hard” - Denny Hamlin opens up about NASCAR penalty's impact on the entire team

Ahead of a regular season finale, Denny Hamlin and Joe Gibbs Racing have been penalized for a serious engine violation. The L2 penalty has impacted the Virginia-based driver's season, making him miss out on the chance of winning the regular championship.

Hamlin opened up about the same with NASCAR.com, ahead of the race weekend at the Daytona International Speedway.

“It’s just really hard. It’s really hard in this kind of format when you work so hard in the regular season to get all those bonus points. It’s really tough to see it just wiped away. But it’s part of it and we’ve got to just overcome now,” he said.

Despite the heavy fine, crew chief Chris Gabehart is looking at maximizing the results in the 2024 Playoffs.

“We’re gonna do the same thing we’ve been trying to do the first 24 races, and that’s win — and we’ve been more than capable to win a lot of them. We’ll be more than capable of winning the next 12. So really, there is no refocus," He commented.

As of now, Denny Hamlin stands sixth in the drivers' championship standings with three wins, 11 top-10s, and nine top-5 finishes.