Joe Gibbs Racing driver and NASCAR Cup Series veteran Denny Hamlin has had a shocking start to the 2024 postseason. The #11 Toyota Camry XSE driver has failed to make an impact during the first round of the postseason itself after being one of the most competitive cars during the regular season.
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The past two weekends have been dismal in terms of results on track for the Virginia native as he logged a P24 finish during the playoff opener at Atlanta Motor Speedway, followed by an incident-riddled P23 last time around in Wakins Glen. As a result, Hamlin currently sits six points below the cutoff line going into this Sunday’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
.@dennyhamlin gets spun & brings out the caution. He will come down pit road for repairs. pic.twitter.com/3o2vKgPhXT
— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) September 15, 2024
The 2024 Bass Pro Shops Night Race will see Hamlin take on the bull by its horns and attempt to visit Victory Lane at a track he has been successful at in the past. NASCAR’s visit to ‘The Last Great Coliseum’ during the spring months this year itself saw the JGR veteran clinch victory at the facility during the Food City 500.
Outlining his game plan ahead of what is most certainly going to be a crucial race for Hamlin’s all-elusive championship charge, the 43-year-old elaborated during a pre-race press conference.
“I’m going to be on the offense starting right away and then so I’m going to be finding the result either way. I just know, over 500 laps here things will work themselves out and we’ll have our shot to win,” said Hamlin.
Seemingly confident of his chances going forward, it remains to be seen if lady luck is by his side this time around.
Hamlin set to solidify his Toyota alliance at Bristol Motor Speedway
The final race of the 2024 Round of 16 will mark yet another impressive statistic that Hamlin will check off during his illustrious career in stock car racing. Having driven for Coach Gibbs’ racing outfit for the majority of his career, the 43-year-old Virginia native will be solidifying his loyalties to the team as well as the allied manufacturer to JGR.
Hamlin participating in this Sunday’s race will mark his 600th start as a Toyota-affiliated driver, which is a number higher than any other in the competition.
This weekend at Bristol, Denny Hamlin will be making his 600th start for Toyota, the most of ANY driver
1. Denny Hamlin – 599 starts
2. Kyle Busch – 528
3. Martin Truex Jr – 460
4. David Reutimann – 208
5. Brian Vickers – 205 pic.twitter.com/XBZ5Cyy624— Trey Ryan (@TreyRyan99) September 20, 2024
It remains to be seen if his performance at the track will be reminiscent of the spring race from earlier this year, an event that saw a lot of chaos and confusion as drivers and teams adapted to unprecedented tire falloff during the race. While the tire compound being used this weekend is the same, feedback from the drivers points in the opposite direction.
