Denny Hamlin faced a major problem during the NASCAR qualifying session in Atlanta as he struggled with powertrain issues that will give him the last start in the upcoming race this weekend.
The incident occurred as Hamlin was leading his qualifying lap for the NASCAR playoffs when he heard a distinctive pop. Despite the issue, Hamlin and the No. 11 team remain optimistic about the car’s overall performance, working hard today to diagnose the problem and fix it ahead of the race.
Hamlin showed remarkable composure after the qualifying round.
“There’s no real indication except just really slow, then they come in and diagnose it. They will find it,” he told PRN. He elaborated on the powertrain being the likely culprit:
Denny Hamlin: “Just slow down. No real sign except just really slow, then they come and diagnose it. They will find it.
It’s definitely in the powertrain.”
That’s the word for it @vandiventurini No. 11 from the driver.
— PRN (@PRNlive) September 7, 2024
“It’s definitely in the powertrain,” Hamlin confirmed. “That means we start last. Then we’ll just battle it out. Our Mavis Camry, I’m sure will be very good tomorrow. We feel good about what we’ve brought, just, yeah, it’s got to be done. .”
The incident comes at a time of widespread turmoil involving 23XI Racing, a team co-owned by Curtis Polk and Hamlin. Michael Jordan.
23XI Racing recently chose not to meet NASCAR’s deadline To sign a charter agreement for the period 2025-2031. The team released a statement.
“23XI decided not to meet the NASCAR-imposed deadline last night to sign charter agreements for its two cars for 2025-2031. 23XI’s position, as stated in the letter to NASCAR, is that we have not had an opportunity to reasonably bargain for a new charter agreement.
“We have notified NASCAR of the issues that need to be addressed, in writing, on the deadline. We are interested in engaging in constructive discussions with NASCAR to resolve these issues and move toward a fair resolution, while strengthening the sport we all love.
“At 23XI Racing, we remain committed to competing at the highest level while remaining steadfast in our belief that NASCAR should be governed by fair and equitable practices.”
This refusal to sign the charter could signal deep unrest in the stock car racing hierarchy. With both 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports resisting the charter agreement deadline, there are potentially major disputes about NASCAR’s governance and operational fairness.
2024 NASCAR Atlanta Qualifying Results
- Michael McDowell, No. 38
- Ryan Blaney, No. 12
- Todd Gilliland, No. 38
- Josh Berry, No. 4
- Austin Cindric, No. 2
- Kyle Larson, No. 5
- Joey Logano, No. 22
- Austin Dillon, No. 3
- William Byron, No. 24
- Chase Briscoe, No. 14
- Alex Bowman, No. 48
- Harrison Burton, No. 21
- Noah Gregson, No. 10
- Daniel Hamrick, No. 31
- Kyle Busch, No. 8
- Chase Elliott, No. 9
- Chris Buescher, No. 17
- Ross Chastain, No. 1
- Brad Keselowski, No. 6
- Ty Gibbs, No. 54
- Ryan Preece, No. 41
- Martin Truex Jr., No. 19
- Tyler Reddick, No. 45
- Bubba Wallace, No. 23
- Corey Lajoie, No. 7
- Christopher Bell, No. 20
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47
- Shane van Gisbergen, no. 16
- Justin Haley, No. 51
- Daniel Suarez No. 99
- Cody Ware No. 15
- Carson Hosever, No. 77
- Eric Jones, No. 43
- Zane Smith, No. 71
- John Hunter Nemechek, no. 42
- BJ McLeod, No. 78
- JJ Yealey, No. 44
- Denny Hamlin, No. 11
Post Denny Hamlin’s NASCAR nightmare as driver hits powertrain problems during qualifying appeared first Newsweek.