Denny Hamlin enters the pivotal Denny Hamlin Round of 8 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with his entire pit crew restored, a significant boost after recent weeks tested his team’s depth and resilience. The veteran driver will benefit from the return of front-tire changer Austin Maloney and jackman Joel Bouagnon on the No. 11 Toyota, as Joe Gibbs Racing prepares for the next high-stakes Cup Series playoff race.
Full Pit Crew Rejoins After Suspension Hurdles
Hamlin’s playoff campaign faced turbulence when the right-front wheel came off his car on Lap 385 during the Bristol Night race, only 18 laps after a crucial pit stop. That incident forced Hamlin to limp down pit road, costing him precious laps and putting his playoff run in jeopardy. As a result, NASCAR handed two-race suspensions to both Maloney and Bouagnon, which under new 2025 guidelines, Joe Gibbs Racing initially deferred. This allowed Hamlin to keep his core team for the New Hampshire race before serving the suspensions at Kansas and the Charlotte Roval events.
This strategic penalty delay was unique to the No. 11 outfit, as noted by FOX Sports journalist Bob Pockrass, with none of the other drivers advancing to the Round of 8 experiencing similar crew changes. The updated deferral policy aims to eliminate teams using appeals primarily as postponement tools, a common problem under the previous, more lenient framework. Previously, organizations could pay a $5,000 appeal fee to delay a suspension and withdraw the appeal later, but the current model seeks to streamline disciplinary procedures and prevent unnecessary delays.
Impact of Crew Absences Felt in Recent Races
Following the Bristol setback, Hamlin finished 12th at New Hampshire with his full crew — a performance that restored some momentum. However, during the suspensions in Kansas and at the Roval, his playoff push suffered: at Kansas, a critical pit stop miscue by a substitute jackman saw Hamlin fall from first to sixth on pit road, derailing a potential victory and resulting in a second-place finish. The Roval race presented even more adversity, with Hamlin finishing 23rd as the absence of his regular pit crew members was keenly felt.
Despite these obstacles, Hamlin remains a frontrunner in the current playoff chase. With five wins this season and seeded highest in the Round of 8, the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team is eyeing its most promising championship bid in recent years, bolstered by the return of Maloney and Bouagnon as the playoffs reach their most critical phase.
Three Straight Playoff Dramas Involving Hamlin
Denny Hamlin has consistently found himself at the heart of playoff drama, shaping narratives in each of the last three postseason weekends. The Round of 12 was marked by a series of incidents: at Bristol, a clash with his non-playoff teammate Ty Gibbs saw Hamlin send the No. 54 car into the wall, ending Gibbs’ night and sparking friction within Joe Gibbs Racing. The fallout added emotional intensity to an already tough playoff stretch for the No. 11 crew.
In Kansas, controversy deepened when Hamlin’s 23XI Racing driver, Bubba Wallace, was leading late in the race. Contact from Hamlin’s car pushed Wallace into the wall on the final restart, opening the door for Chase Elliott to sweep past and capture victory. The incident eliminated Wallace from playoff contention, fueling criticism and debate among fans and analysts alike.
At the Charlotte Roval, the tension continued as Ross Chastain was involved in a dramatic last-corner battle with Hamlin. Chastain bumped Hamlin in a desperate move for position, leading both drivers to spin out before the finish line. Chastain missed out on advancing by a single point, magnifying the chaotic nature of the playoffs.
“I think that three weeks in a row we’ve seen Hamlin in the middle of the story. He wasn’t even trying to be, but now he’s in the middle of the story again because, was he gonna pass the one (Ross Chastain) was he not gonna pass the one?” [30:50 onwards]
Kevin Harvick, Analyst
Las Vegas: A Track of Opportunity for Hamlin
As the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Las Vegas, Hamlin is determined to move the attention from past controversies to on-track performance. The 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway has long been favorable to both Hamlin and Toyota teams. Notably, Hamlin secured Toyota’s sole Cup Series win at the venue in the last six years, capturing victory in the 2021 fall race. Across his most recent six starts at the circuit, he finished outside the top 11 only once, boasting an average finish of 12.78 — ninth-best all-time in Las Vegas history.
With his full pit crew reinstated and momentum at stake, Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, and their fans hope to capitalize on this critical playoff round. The result in Las Vegas could define both Hamlin’s legacy and the season’s playoff trajectory as the battle for the championship intensifies in the coming weeks.
