Denny Hamlin NASCAR Nightmare As Driver Hits Powertrain Issues During Qualifying

Denny Hamlin faced a major issue during the NASCAR qualifying session in Atlanta as he grappled with powertrain issues that will see him start last in the upcoming race this weekend.

The incident occurred while Hamlin was pushing through his qualifying lap for the NASCAR Playoffs when he heard a distinct pop. Despite this issue, Hamlin and the No. 11 team remain hopeful about the car’s overall performance, working hard today to diagnose the problem and fix it ahead of the race.

Hamlin showed remarkable calmness following the qualifying round.

“No real indication other than just really slow, then they come in and diagnose it. They’ll figure it out,” he told PRN. He elaborated on the powertrain being the probable culprit:

“It’s certainly in the powertrain,” Hamlin confirmed. “It means we start last. Then we’ll just battle to the front. Our Mavis Camry, I’m sure, is going to be pretty good tomorrow. We feel good about what we brought, just yeah, gotta get it to the finish.”

The timing of this incident comes at a time of broader turbulence involving 23XI Racing, the team co-owned by Hamlin along with Curtis Polk and 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 to not meet a NASCAR-imposed deadline last night to sign Charter agreements for its two cars for 2025-2031. 23XI’s position, as stated in a letter to NASCAR, is that we did not have an opportunity to fairly bargain for a new Charter contract.

“We notified NASCAR what issues needed to be addressed, in writing, at the deadline. We are interested in engaging in constructive discussions with NASCAR to address these issues and move forward in a way that comes to a fair resolution, while strengthening the sport we all love.

“At 23XI Racing, we remain committed to competing at the highest level while also standing firm in our belief that NASCAR should be governed by fair and equitable practices.”

This refusal to sign the charter could signal deeper unrest within the hierarchy of stock car racing. With 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports both resisting the charter agreement deadlines, there are ripples of potential larger contentions about NASCAR’s governance and operational fairness.

2024 NASCAR Atlanta Qualifying Results

1. Michael McDowell, No. 38
2. Ryan Blaney, No. 12
3. Todd Gilliland, No. 38
4. Josh Berry, No. 4
5. Austin Cindric, No. 2
6. Kyle Larson, No. 5
7. Joey Logano, No. 22
8. Austin Dillon, No. 3
9. William Byron, No. 24
10. Chase Briscoe, No. 14
11. Alex Bowman, No. 48
12. Harrison Burton, No. 21
13. Noah Gragson, No. 10
14. Daniel Hemric, No. 31
15. Kyle Busch, No. 8
16. Chase Elliott, No. 9
17. Chris Buescher, No. 17
18. Ross Chastain, No. 1
19. Brad Keselowski, No. 6
20. Ty Gibbs, No. 54
21. Ryan Preece, No. 41
22. Martin Truex Jr., No. 19
23. Tyler Reddick, No. 45
24. Bubba Wallace, No. 23
25. Corey LaJoie, No. 7
26. Christopher Bell, No. 20
27. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47
28. Shane Van Gisbergen, No. 16
29. Justin Haley, No. 51
30. Daniel Suarez No. 99
31. Cody Ware No. 15
32. Carson Hocevar, No. 77
33. Erik Jones, No. 43
34. Zane Smith, No. 71
35. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42
36. BJ McLeod, No. 78
37. JJ Yeley, No. 44
38. Denny Hamlin, No. 11