Denny Hamlin eliminated at Quaker State 400 after a dramatic turn of events at EchoPark Speedway, where Ty Dillon, seeded 32nd, unexpectedly ended Hamlin’s tournament hopes. Dillon’s eighth-place finish sealed his place in the next round in Chicago, while his victory over Hamlin came with a dose of irony reminiscent of Hamlin’s previous public taunts to rivals.
Taunts and Good-Natured Banter Follow the Race
Embracing Hamlin’s own signature celebration line, Dillon gave the crowd an unexpected twist after the finish, saying,
“All you Denny fans out there, I just knocked your favorite driver out,”
—Ty Dillon, Driver. The moment added an entertaining layer to the post-race atmosphere, especially considering Dillon’s underdog status throughout the week.
Hamlin’s bid for the in-season tournament ended in dramatic fashion amid a chaotic wreck that left him 31st, firmly out of contention. On his Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin acknowledged Dillon’s achievement, stating,
“Ty Dillon, he beat me. Give him his moment, people. He was ahead of me the whole f—ing race,”
—Denny Hamlin, Driver. Hamlin also shared their lighter post-race exchange:
“He texted me, he’s like, ‘Hey, I was just playing around.’ And I’m like, ‘Bro, I loved it.’”
—Denny Hamlin, Driver.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Highlights Format’s Unpredictable Drama
Dale Earnhardt Jr. commended Dillon’s playful jibe and credited NASCAR’s bracket system for producing such engaging moments.
“I thought it was a clever comment by Ty Dillon… We got to thank this bracket challenge for those little kind of moments because Ty Dillon has been the underdog for the entire week,”
—Dale Earnhardt Jr., Commentator. He further speculated about the origins of Dillon’s taunt, suggesting,
“That quote that he gave us was probably given to him midweek in conversation, right? I bet you his crew chief, car chief, somebody said something to him and goes, ‘Hey, man, you ought to say such and such when you knock him (Hamlin) out of the bracket.’”
—Dale Earnhardt Jr., Commentator.
Earnhardt went on to emphasize how these moments add depth to the competition:
“But that doesn’t happen if he doesn’t know that he’s in this bracket challenge and the bracket challenge doesn’t exist,”
—Dale Earnhardt Jr., Commentator. His remarks highlighted the influence of innovative race formats in spicing up the midseason action.
Big Names Exit, Contenders Prepare for Chicago
Hamlin was not the only high-profile casualty. Major names such as Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, William Byron, Joey Logano, Daniel Suárez, Josh Berry, Austin Dillon, Ross Chastain, Chase Briscoe, Austin Cindric, Michael McDowell, Todd Gilliland, and Justin Haley also saw their tournament hopes dashed at EchoPark Speedway.
The stage is now set for the next round in Chicago, with Ty Dillon joined by Chris Buescher, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Bubba Wallace, Erik Jones, Noah Gragson, Brad Keselowski, Alex Bowman, John Hunter Nemechek, Chase Elliott, Carson Hocevar, Tyler Reddick, A.J. Allmendinger, Ty Gibbs, Zane Smith, and Ryan Preece still in contention for the in-season title.
The Bracket Challenge Shakes Up NASCAR’s Midseason
Dillon’s unexpected elimination of Hamlin, amid playful banter, has underscored the unpredictable and theatrical qualities of NASCAR’s in-season bracket challenge. As the remaining contenders move to Chicago, fans and drivers alike anticipate further surprises and drama in the next round of competition.
