Dejected Denny Hamlin Rants Over His “F**king Misjudgment” That Earned Him an Embarrassing Setback at Sonoma

In the world of motorsports, setbacks and disappointments are not uncommon, and even the most seasoned drivers can have brain-fade moments. Such was the case with Denny Hamlin, whose recent performance in the Cup race at the Sonoma Raceway left him feeling dejected and fuming with anger.

What started off as a promising race quickly turned into a nightmare for the driver of the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver. A late-race crash, caused by his own misjudgment, left Hamlin frustrated and remorseful. Later, in a conversation with Jared Allen, Hamlin openly expressed his disappointment and shared the details of the incident that led to his setback.

Denny Hamlin accepts blame as he calls his driving “awful”

During the latest episode of the Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin acknowledged that it’s one thing to drive faster than anyone else in qualifying but it’s a completely different deal during the race. He recounted the crucial moment before the crash, saying, “So he [William Byron] actually got a bad … he missed the paint into turn 11 and I hit it very well and I’m like getting a big run on him. And I’m thinking oh my gosh I’ve been riding on his a** for 15 laps, I’ve gotta get around him because I got passed by Larson, I got held up by Byron. And that’s another thing: I’ve gotta get better at it, these road course passings right and optimizing, being an efficient passer on these types of races.”

Hamlin explained that he was trying to make a pass on William Byron but misjudged the situation. He had a good run going but shifted too far to the left, hitting the wall instead. Reflecting on the crash, he admitted, “I just f**king misjudged it. It was just, it was such a small hit. I thought I had something break when I hit the wall because it just shot me dead right and hit the fence like, my god, that was just terrible on my part, awful driving.”

The crash dashed his hopes of a strong finish. He expressed his frustration, saying, “I hate it for my team because we were about to leave with a very good weekend. We were battling for 9th. I feel like we could have easily gotten to 6th or 7th somewhere in there, but just made a mistake.” Hamlin’s consistent struggle to secure valuable points added to his disappointment, as he remarked, “Every time we get close to, like, hey we could get points later, we’re very close to it, and we finish last. It’s just so frustrating.”

Hamlin’s disappointment was palpable, not only because of the setback but also due to the missed opportunity to secure valuable points. But there’s something he can take home from Sonoma.

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Denny Hamlin’s only solace at the Sonoma Raceway

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When Jared Allen asked if the consolation of a playoff point made any difference, Hamlin replied, “Well, like I said, that 1 playoff point is the same as moving up one spot in the regular season so the difference between if you finish 5th or 4th in the points, you get one more bonus point. So it’s like automatically moving up one spot in the regular season so it does matter. It’s the only solace I have left here with.”

Despite Hamlin’s frustrations, it was a successful weekend for Joe Gibbs Racing as a whole, with Martin Truex Jr taking the checkered flag and winning his second race of the season. Truex Jr showcased impressive speed, leading 51 laps, while Hamlin led 33 laps.

Reflecting on JGR’s performance on road courses, Hamlin expressed satisfaction, stating, “It was a good day, certainly that one caution right before the second stage hurt us as far as track position. Overall, I was pretty happy with our speed.”

Hamlin’s misjudgment at Sonoma serves as a reminder that even the most seasoned drivers can make costly errors. While he was on track for a strong finish, a single mistake turned a promising weekend into a disappointing setback. Nonetheless, Hamlin remains determined to improve his performance on road courses and optimize his race strategies.

As the NASCAR season progresses, Hamlin and his team will undoubtedly analyze the incident at Sonoma, using it as a learning opportunity to refine their approach and strive for better results in the races to come.

READ MORE: Denny Hamlin Demands a Major Sonoma Change Detrimental to the Next Gen Cars After Uncharacteristic Disaster