Joe Gibbs Racing veteran Denny Hamlin acknowledged that his race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was far from ideal as he continues to battle through a tough 2024 NASCAR Cup season. After a strong start to the year with three victories, Hamlin has struggled in the postseason, barely making it into the Round of 8, and his chances to secure a spot in the Championship 4 were further diminished by a frustrating performance in Vegas.
Despite running a competitive car, Hamlin only managed to finish in P8, which wasn’t enough to move him out of the elimination zone. Reflecting on the race, Hamlin candidly admitted that it was a “disappointing” day and emphasized the importance of track position—something he lost early in the race.
“Just not a clean day,” Hamlin said post-race. “That certainly kind of sums it up. You’ll have that, and we’ll just do the best we can to get the best finish. I thought Chris [Gabehart] did a great job trying to get some sort of finish. Once we lost the track position early, he was doing everything he could to try to get it back. It’s just part of it.”
Hamlin’s team has notably struggled to replicate the form that saw them dominate in the regular season, particularly when it comes to race-day execution. Hamlin was quick to credit his crew chief, Chris Gabehart, for salvaging a decent finish, but the No. 11 team’s post-season woes were evident throughout the race.
While discussing his recent performances, Hamlin acknowledged that things haven’t been as sharp as they were earlier in the year, both on the track and during pit stops, stating that their issues with execution have been a persistent obstacle.
“I don’t know where we’re at, but certainly, we’re not running quite as strong as what we were earlier in the year,” Hamlin admitted. “We’re definitely not as clean execution-wise as we were. Just got to clean it up and go to Homestead and try to win it.”
Looking ahead to next weekend’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Hamlin knows the pressure is on. The veteran driver, who is still chasing his first championship in the Next-Gen era, needs a strong result to keep his playoff hopes alive. All eyes will be on whether Hamlin can return to his winning form and secure his place in the final four.
With only two races left before the Championship 4, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Hamlin, and his fans will be eager to see if the No. 11 Toyota can overcome the recent struggles and fight for a title.
