NASCAR docked Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin 75 points and 10 playoff points Thursday, eliminating any shot he had at winning the regular-season title and making his path toward a championship more difficult.
The hefty penalty was handed down because Hamlin’s race-winning engine from Bristol Motor Speedway in March was rebuilt by manufacturer Toyota before NASCAR could tear it down and inspect it. The sanctioning body also fined Hamlin’s crew chief, Chris Gabehart, $100,000.
Toyota Racing Development self-reported the “grievous mistake,” as TRD president David Wilson called it, and NASCAR issued the same penalty that would get handed to any team that alters its engine before being inspected.
Hamlin, who was third in the Cup standings and 28 points behind leader Tyler Reddick, drops to sixth and out of contention for the regular-season title with two races remaining. His playoff points fell from 21 to 11, leaving him less room for error in the opening three races of the postseason.
Wilson said the manufacturer takes full responsibility and added that Hamlin’s team, Joe Gibbs Racing, was not involved in the engine disassembly.
