Back in 2008, Joe Gibbs Racing took what many believed was the biggest gamble ever. For a long time, NASCAR had been dominated by American manufacturers like Chevrolet, Ford, Dodge, and more. All of that changed when Japanese giant Toyota entered the sport in 2007. At the time, they were allied with Bill Davis Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, and Team Red Bull. A year later, Joe Gibbs became the manufacturer’s first high-profile customer, and they have never looked back since.

Since then, the two parties have gone through several highs and lows. From titles for Kyle Busch in 2015 and 2019 to being consistent championship contenders, things have been looking up. However, with the good must come the bad, and the bad came in droves. In recent times, Joe Gibbs Racing has been plagued with mechanical issues for all their cars. Now, the latest blow comes from an engine violation, which resulted in a massive penalty.

Back in March, Denny Hamlin triumphed at the Bristol Motor Speedway. During that race’s aftermath, Toyota made a massive mistake, and now it is coming back to bite them. Apparently, the engineers took apart Hamlin’s engine before NASCAR officials could inspect it. Naturally, NASCAR did not appreciate the stunt, as it could be interpreted that the team had something to hide.

What were the consequences of that incident for Denny Hamlin?

According to the officials, the imposed L2-level penalty was for failing to meet the engine seal requirements. Interestingly, it was Toyota that voluntarily owned up to the issue. The rules dictate that each race-winning engine must be subject to a post-race inspection only if the team determines that its life cycle is complete. In Hamlin’s case, Toyota Racing Development disassembled and rebuilt his Bristol-winning race engine before presenting it to officials.

As per protocol, the violation results in an L2 penalty for the race team and driver. Owing to this, Hamlin has been docked 75 driver and owner points and 1 playoff point. Additionally, Joe Gibbs Racing received a $100,000 fine for the violation. Normally, this would have jeopardized his playoff chances, just like how Austin Dillon botched his chances. The good news was that Hamlin did win other races, and those were legal, so that pretty much insured his playoff berth.

However, this is a bit of a setback for Joe Gibbs Racing. Especially considering that the organization has been having mechanical issues of late. The problems have struck each of the drivers at different races, and it has been happening far too often for Joe Gibbs’ liking. Christopher Bell fell victim to the World Wide Technology Raceway, while Hamlin didn’t even make it past a few laps of Sonoma.

Is Toyota going to cost Joe Gibbs Racing a Cup Series title in 2024?

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What Is Left of Denny Hamlin’s Depleting Core After Having to Deal With a Nearly $70 Billion Loss?

God, we sure hope not. not sure how much more heartache Denny Hamlin can take after years of missing out on a Maiden Cup title. After all, we would really love to see him and his father finally smoke that cigar. On the bright side, Hamlin and Bell are already locked in the playoffs, despite the Bristol scare for the #11 driver.

With two races remaining, the pressure is on Martin Truex Jr. and Ty Gibbs to join their teammates. However, if Toyota is suffering from reliability issues, then they could be in danger. It would be a very bad look for the organization if two of their drivers missed playoff qualification because of engine issues.

It didn’t help that at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Truex Jr.’s team made an unapproved adjustment after inspection. Owing to that, he was subsequently punished with the loss of pit stall selection, a back-of-the grid start, and a drive-through penalty. Heading into Daytona this weekend, it could be make or break for Joe Gibbs Racing. If there really is an issue with Toyota engines, should 23XI Racing and Legacy Motor Club be worried as well?