“This One’s on Me”: Denny Hamlin Takes the Blame for Texas Blunder Despite Being ‘One of the Top 3’

The dramatic race at Texas Motor Speedway unfolded with a lot of twists in its climaxing moments. Mostly the leads were exchanged between Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports. However, near the finishing lap, it was a two-man battle between Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott, where the latter prevailed in the end.

The defeat came at a disheartening moment for Hamlin. The No. 11 Toyota led 37 laps and looked primed to steal his third-season victory. But a second overtime spelled a cruel fate for Hamlin. Yet the JGR driver bashed himself for this turn of events.

Denny Hamlin takes a piece of the humble pie!

Hamlin’s fate has indeed been on his side for the majority of the 2024 season. On occasions when he was not finishing outside the top 10, usually he clinched the winning spot. In recent weeks, a pattern of yielding to Hendrick drivers has emerged. Last week in Martinsville, three of them bested Denny Hamlin to score a 1-2-3 finish. The past weekend was no different either, as Chase Elliott ultimately reigned supreme. But Hamlin did not blame NASCAR’s golden boy for his troubles that saw him snapping sideways, spinning into the outside wall exiting Turn 4.

Recently on his podcast, Denny Hamlin recollected the incident, referring to an initial glimmer of hope. “I think that caution happened, and there were 5 or 6 laps to go, and I’m like, ‘Well, sh*t.’…if he clears me if I have two or three laps, I’ll get back around him. I mean, that’s my irrational confidence, but that’s what I think will happen.”

But that little hope was soon butchered. “When we go under green-white-checkered, it’s all about who clears first…The shift’s not time enough to build momentum back. That’s why my sense of urgency was to…try to keep and stay beside him…Damn it.”

In conclusion, Denny Hamlin revealed how he wouldn’t blame anyone for himself for the heartbreaking finish after weeks of consistent performances. “I think we’ve led every race this season, and not like bulls**t-led. So this is a really, really, really, fun year for me so far, because every week. I know I am one of the top three guys on speed, but damn, two weeks in a row of not getting the finish we deserved. This one’s on me for sure.”

However, it wasn’t just Denny Hamlin who made sure to blame himself before blaming anyone else.

FRM veteran absolved the track of blame

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Fans and drivers alike have led a hue and cry about the stunted nature of the Texas track. The 1.5-mile intermediate underwent seemingly controversial repaves in 2017 and 2019, and yielded increasingly miserable results. Only last week even Denny Hamlin openly bashed the SMI-owned track: “Texas- It needs to be completely redone.” While this might make one think that perhaps all of the driver’s miseries were due to the track, Michael McDowell made sure not to pin the blame on it.

But post-race he is criticizing himself, as Front Row Motorsports driver Michael McDowell also did the same. The FRM driver was battling fiercely with Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain for the lead mid-race. But soon the bump-riddled Turn 4 arrested McDowell’s victory aspirations. The No. 34 Ford spun and hit the outside wall hard. Yet McDowell chose to blame himself. “I’m not mad at the track. It’s my fault that I spun, it’s not the track’s fault,” he shared in a post-race conversation.

Even though the drivers’ self-reflection will help their ambitions, the Texas track’s faults are readily apparent after the wreck-heavy race, according to several others. Do you agree?