They might be teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing, but Martin Truex Jr and Denny Hamlin were locked in a tight battle for the regular season championship title going into the final regular-season race in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series at Daytona.

According to Hamlin, he had a chance in the first stage of the race, but an error of judgment cost him the opportunity as he fell too far behind his teammate in points after the end of the first stage. As a result, Hamlin did not pursue the regular season championship any further for the rest of the race and rather focused on winning the race, which didn’t happen either as he finished in a forgettable 26th place.

Denny Hamlin Threw Away Regular Season Title for Stage One Win at Daytona

Speaking on a recent episode of the Actions Detrimental podcast, the driver of the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing car pinpointed exactly where he made the wrong decision that cost him the regular season championship.

It was early on in the race, towards the end of stage one. Hamlin said that he tried to win stage one rather than staying in front of Truex and it was the decision to move from the inside lane to the outside lane to have a chance of winning the first stage ended his regular season championship aspirations.

“The inside lane was kind of getting jumbled up like tires were getting hot and you know, you were having to lift a little bit more so the outside lane starts coming. Well, I’m looking and it’s a couple of laps to go, coming to the white, I go and pull up in front of Riley [Herbst]. And I certainly, in hindsight, it’s like, I had the #19 (Truex) behind me, the best thing to do at that point was try to gain a point on him to keep myself in the battle, but I’m trying to go for the stage win,” Hamlin said.

Winning the regular season championship does not automatically translate to winning the Cup Series championship. But for someone as competitive and hungry as Hamlin, no defeat can be taken lightly. More than a day had passed since Daytona and the JGR man was still feeling dejected about the choice he made, which cost him the regular season title.

“I didn’t even know if I was ever clear and then I looked at the replay and I was like, “Oh.” I was clear to pull down in front of the #19, I just didn’t,” he said.

A little while after he switched lanes, the top lane began to get disorganized as Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing, who was behind Herbst, decided to get in front of him. The whole pack was shuffled as a result, and Hamlin dropped back.

Things would have been easier had he stayed on the inside lane ahead of Martin Truex Jr as there is nowhere the inside lane can go in a situation like that. Hamlin explained it later on in his podcast.

“I just messed up and had a brain lapse, like, the bottom lane at least you can’t go anywhere. Like if you’re on the bottom line, there’s no chance for anyone to pull out. Like you’ve got the yellow line on the inside of you, that’s essentially like a wall, you can’t go that way and then they’ve got the top lane down on their door. They can’t go to the left, can’t go to the right.”

“The lapse of judgment, surely, I should’ve stayed in front of the #19 probably, well, would have won the stage but we didn’t. And pretty much at that point, I’m like, well now, Truex gained five more points on me and it’s unattainable,” he concluded with dejection in his tone.

While there was disappointment for Denny Hamlin the driver, there was pride for Denny Hamlin the team owner. The JGR man co-owns the 23XI Racing Team with Michael Jordan and at Daytona, Bubba Wallace solidified his place in the playoffs, which meant that both drivers from Hamlin’s team were in the last 16.

WATCH THIS STORY: Bubba Wallace Exposes Boss Denny Hamlin’s Black Lie In Pocono Feud

Disappointed Driver, but a Proud Team Owner

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In a post on Twitter, Hamlin shared a couple of pictures of him congratulating Bubba Wallace on securing his first playoff spot after what had been a hectic season for the 29-year-old. Wallace had said after the race that it had been the most stressed he had ever been and there was a sigh of relief from everyone involved with 23XI Racing after he secured his playoff berth.

“Proud team owner. Both cars in the playoffs. Congratulations @BubbaWallace and @23XIRacing! #TeamToyota,” Hamlin posted on X after the race at Daytona.

NASCAR insider Jeff Gluck said it best on an episode of The Teardown. The 2023 NASCAR season playoffs do seem to have the most competitive field fans have seen in quite a while. With a mix of youth and experience, the business end of the Cup Series this year promises to deliver some of the most thrilling outcomes in recent history.

Read More – “They’re a Red Flag” – Another Joe Gibbs Racing Driver Gets Nod Over Denny Hamlin as Insider Dissects Their Season