The difference was 0.09 mph. That’s how much faster Martin Truex Jr. was in the pit lane, which forced him to get a speeding penalty at Bristol Motor Speedway. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver was in contention for a strong finish at the 2024 Bass Pro Shops Night Race, only to be sent to the back of the field, which crushed his title hopes. The incident meant that Truex Jr. settled for a 24th-place finish, ending his final Cup Series season as a full-time racing driver without a fairytale championship win.

His teammate Denny Hamlin was far luckier, finishing fourth at the short track to progress into the Round of 12. The Florida native spoke about speeding penalties on his latest Actions Detrimental podcast, highlighting how his crew chief Chris Gabehart approaches such situations.

Hamlin hoping to not repeat Martin Truex Jr.’s Bristol mistake

Martin Truex Jr. did almost everything right at Bristol Motor Speedway. The veteran racing driver finished fourth in qualifying and held his track position by the end of the first stage, remaining in contention for a spot in the next round of the playoffs. By the end of the second stage, the 44-year-old had progressed two places higher to 2nd, collecting 16 points in the process. He entered the race 14 points behind the cutline, but after the opening 250 laps, it looked like the No. 19 Toyota Camry driver would finally make it through. That was until a pit stop changed everything.

Speaking about Truex Jr’s pit lane incident, Jared Allen asked Denny Hamlin if his crew chief Chris Gabehart warned him about the consequences of speeding in the pit lane. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver said on the Actions Detrimental podcast, “Chris expects me to know all those things. He doesn’t really reiterate them that much.” Hamlin then went on to say, “He doesn’t need to tell me, ‘Don’t speed’, right? He will in an instance where that is the only thing that is going to keep us from advancing or winning that day, he will tell me. Other than that, he just lets me do my job.”

For Martin Truex Jr, it was smooth sailing until Lap 170 when he went into the pit lane for his final stop of the night. Running second at the time, his No. 19 Toyota team executed the perfect stop, but that’s when everything changed. In a hurry to get back on track, MTJ was found guilty of being 0.09 mph faster than the speed limit, which meant the subsequent speeding penalty relegated him to the back of the grid. On a track where making passes was difficult, the 44-year-old struggled to get back into the race after that setback, finishing outside the top 20.

With the Round of 12 beginning at Kansas Speedway, Denny Hamlin will be eager to not repeat his teammate’s mistakes. The Florida native struggled in his opening two playoff races but seems to have turned a corner after a top-five result at Bristol Motor Speedway. Hamlin will now look to build on that momentum at the 2024 Hollywood Casino 400, hoping that this season will finally be the year he can lift the elusive championship at Phoenix Raceway.

Denny Hamlin outlines his playoff expectations

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It’s now or never for Denny Hamlin. After a slump in performances led to a shaky playoff start, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver is determined to not repeat the mistakes from Atlanta and Watkins Glen in the upcoming Cup Series races. The No. 11 team will adopt a more aggressive strategy going into Kansas, Talladega, and the Charlotte Roval, knowing that playing it safe is no longer an option with the stakes being as high as they are. Waiting for wrecks isn’t an approach that has worked out well for Hamlin and Gabehart in the Next-Gen Era, and they will now look to take calculated risks to remain in control of their destiny.

When asked by Fox Sports journalist Bob Pockrass if progressing into the Round of 12 felt like an accomplishment after his opening postseason results, Denny Hamlin said, “I mean, yeah, it’s an accomplishment. I mean, I tell you, making the first round. I didn’t ever think would be a goal, but certainly, after the first two races, it feels good. It certainly feels good. But we expect a heck of a lot more than just making the first round. Now, we expect to go deep and get to some of these tracks where we’re gonna shine.”

Hamlin’s next goal will be to get a good result at Kansas Speedway, a track that has served him well in the past. The veteran racing driver hasn’t finished lower than the top five in his last six appearances on the 1.5-mile tri-oval, which means getting a good result will ease some of the pressure on his shoulders before moving on to some of the more tricky tracks. The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran will look to use all his experience and skill to take on any challenges he may face in the playoffs head-on, knowing fully well that anything less could end his championship hopes.