Denny Hamlin is not having a good time at Martinsville so far. During a practice session at Martinsville Speedway on November 1, 2024, Hamlin encountered a frightening situation when his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota experienced a throttle malfunction. As he entered Turn 3, the throttle unexpectedly stuck wide open, causing the car to accelerate out of control. Hamlin quickly reacted, trying to steer away from a head-on collision, but despite his efforts to brake, he crashed into the outside retaining wall, slamming the rear of his car hard against it.

In the aftermath of the crash, Hamlin’s team discovered a large piece of rubber lodged in the throttle body, which had caused the issue. The damage to the rear of the car was significant, leaving the crew to decide whether to repair it or use a backup car. This incident forced Hamlin to start the upcoming race from behind the wheel, and that is not a spot any driver wants to be in. So when his teammate, Martin Truex Jr., was asked about the same happening to him. The No. 19 driver reassured the fans that it was not very likely to happen again.

Martin Truex Jr’s take on Denny Hamlin’s engine incident

In an interview with Bob Pockrass, Martin Truex Jr. found himself discussing the surprising incident involving his teammate, Denny Hamlin. Bob Pockrass kicked off the conversation, asking, “Denny had a piece of rubber get stuck in his throttle body; are you concerned about that at all tomorrow?”

Martin Truex Jr. leaned back, a hint of amusement in his voice as he replied, “About as much as I’m concerned about getting hit by lightning—one in a million. Like, I don’t even know how that happened; that’s just his number came up.” Others who were watching this live burst out into laughter as Truex Jr. shook his head, almost incredulous at the randomness of it all. “It’s nuts. That may never happen here in 10 more years, you know? It’s just crazy.” There is truth to MTJ’s words. Before the incident, Hamlin had never experienced rubber inside the throttle body. Considering just how rare it is, Hamlin managing to come out of the crash unscathed is a big relief.

According to Martin Truex Jr., the rubber in the engine was a rare event that wasn’t likely to happen again. It is still unknown how that happened in the first place, but MTJ is sure that it has nothing to do with Joe Gibbs Racing and its crew while reassuring that such an incident will not happen again. His words are crucial at a time when JGR’s work on the car has drawn a lot of questions. Earlier in the season, Hamlin found himself disqualified at Pocono due to an extra layer of tape on the wheel openings.

The fact that Hamlin has to start the race at the back of the grid is probably the worst thing that could happen to him, especially considering the fact that he is in the elimination bracket of the playoffs and nothing can help him into the finals except a win at the track. Although Denny Hamlin’s reputation when it comes to comebacks, competing against 30+ cars who are giving it their all seems like an impossible task.

Denny Hamlin’s frustrations were visible at the Martinsville practice

Denny Hamlin was visibly frustrated after a crash during the practice session at Martinsville Speedway, and it showed when he slammed his helmet onto his No. 11 car as he made his way back to the hauler. The veteran driver is currently fighting to keep his playoff hopes alive, sitting sixth in the standings and 18 points below the cutline. With only two spots left in the Championship 4, every moment counts, and Hamlin’s crash added to the mounting pressure as he faced elimination in the Round of 8.

NASCAR insider Noah Lewis reported that Denny Hamlin was “very upset” following the incident, which occurred in Turn 3 and ended his practice session prematurely. “The car didn’t slow down, and the throttle hung on us,” Hamlin explained to NBC Sports, detailing the throttle issue that led to the crash. He later discovered a large chunk of rubber lodged in the throttle body, which contributed to the malfunction.

Although there were initial thoughts about using a backup car, the team decided to repair the damaged car for the upcoming race, forcing Hamlin to start from the back of the field. As the pressure builds, the stakes couldn’t be higher for him in the tight playoff race. Now that he is starting from the back, do you think that Hamlin will make it into the finals? Share your thoughts in the comments below.