Denny Hamlin's Race Strategy Likely Shifts After 75-Point Penalty
3 months agoDenny Hamlin received a 75-point penalty for his team disassembling an engine before NASCAR could inspect it after his win at Bristol. Although the playoff point penalty he received was relatively minor in comparison, the 75-point penalty does effectively eliminate him from the regular-season championship. Counterintuitively, that will actually allow Hamlin to take more risks to go for the win since he is both locked into the playoffs but also no longer needs to points race. While Hamlin has more wins (3) and laps led (676) than any other active driver at Daytona, he was much stronger with the Gen 6 chassis than he has been with the Next Gen. While he still leads most races there, he hasn't gotten a top ten since 2021 despite only crashing out twice. It's understandable why he's the betting favorite, but maybe he shouldn't be with this chassis.
Source: Racing Reference
Source: Racing Reference