Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin has hit a lean patch at the worst time of the year. After the disappointment of a failed strategy in Atlanta, the veteran driver was hoping for a solid finish at Watkins Glen last weekend. Call it bad luck or fate, the driver of the #11 car got whipped out on the very first lap of the race. Leading to extensive repairs and loss of track position.

After Kyle Petty scrutinized Hamlin’s approach to the playoff, Richard Petty has now commented on his miserable run at the Glen. Petty was analyzing the runs of the championship contenders from last week’s race. Only two of the 16 playoff drivers secured a top-10 result, so it was a bad race for them, to say the least. However, Petty singled out Hamlin as the driver who suffered the most.

The No. 11 driver has had a few humbling weeks since the mid-season break. He didn’t just lose speed and confidence but also crucial playoff points. Courtesy JGR’s OEM partner TRD, who breached NASCAR engine inspection rules. This was just the beginning of the struggles as his point strategy completely flipped on him at Atlanta. Meanwhile, he found himself on the receiving end of the wrecks and crashes at the 2.45-mile road course at the Glen.

It was indeed a day full of surprises as the likes of Joey Logano, Kyle Larson, and Tyler Reddick all fired blanks. But Denny Hamlin just cannot shake off the bad luck he’s caught over the last few weeks. He was involved in the first lap pile-up, thanks to a muck-up by Corey LaJoie. And then during the stage 3 run, he was shoved into the wall, trying to force a three-wide move against Brad Keselowski and Larson.

Reacting to this surprise-laden race where big names failed to deliver, Richard Petty opined, “The one that got wounded the most was the 11 car if you remember. He got into the first wreck towards the right front fender and stepped off, and then later on in the race, going in number 2 there right in front of us, we got to see they spun him out. Go Bowling was the name of the race; he looked like a bowling ball. They was bowling him around.” The King said this while speaking on the Petty Family Racing YouTube channel.

It is hard to imagine that Denny Hamlin, one of the regular season contenders, is struggling to get a solid race finish in the playoffs. After the two races in the first round, he finds himself below the bubble, six points shy of the 12th spot. Although a solid points day could do the trick for him. But only a win at Bristol would seal the deal for him to progress forward.

Bristol Motor Speedway could just be the place for Denny Hamlin’s comeback story

Denny Hamlin has found joy at the short ovals in an era of Next-Gen cars where execution battles can determine the outcomes of the races. However, at the world’s fastest half-mile, racing under the lights to conserve tires, this is where he feels at home. For the record, the JGR driver has a streak of back-to-back wins at Bristol. So he must feel good about his chances to overcome the challenge this weekend.

“We’ll be fine; I have no doubts that we’re going to be good and upfront and control our own destiny.” He said after the race at the Glen. However, the key here will be to not rely on points or stage wins, but rather a race win. This is the only way he can guarantee his progress into the Round of 12. The veteran driver has learned this lesson the hard way with his Atlanta outing.

Laying out the strategy for his next race, Denny Hamlin while speaking on the Actions Detrimental podcast stated, “Qualifying will be important, certainly, but I think—I don’t know, just run top five all stages, finish top five in the race, get a 47 point day or so, that’ll be plenty. But I’m planning on going there and winning.”

Hamlin and the #11 team need a shot in their arms to power through this lean patch. A win at Bristol would certainly point the team in the right direction and also help the driver keep his championship dream alive.